The End Of The Line

This weekend I will make one final drive to watch my son compete in "youth sports", even though he is no longer a youth by any stretch, and there is a chance he won't be able to compete because of injury.  Doesn't matter.

I've been watching Stewart compete in some sport or another for about seventeen years or so now.  I remember those first soccer games at the YMCA.  Little did I know then what a monster soccer would become.  I remember him starting off in TBall and the way the little kids in the neighborhood got ready for opening day every year.  I remember the first basketball league at the Y, where you'd wear a colored wristband so you would know who you were guarding.  Stew would hide his arm behind his back.  And of course the first track "meet" in fourth grade--whole thing consisted of the mile run.

I have watched Stew in hundreds of events I guess.  TBall led to little league which led to select baseball which led to high school.  Three on three basketball led to rec league which led to select which again took us to high school.  Soccer, well soccer takes us from rec league to traveling all over the Midwest, indoor and outdoor, year round,  finally to a very nice high school career.  And of course running, from sixth grade cross country and track all the way through college. 

I remember lots of the coaches and parents.  Some good, some not so much so (myself included!).  Some have become friends to both myself and Stewart as well.  Some had good intentions, but were "overmatched".  Others really should have probably stayed in the stands.  And he has had some teammates.  All different levels of skill and ability, some good, some concerned with their own stats more than the team.  Lots of good teams in high school.

And I have traveled to watch Stewart.  Thousands of miles by now I would guess.  Weekend tournaments, travel teams, now of course away at college means I have to go a little further to watch Stew.  And every single mile has been worth it, although I may have had some misgivings at the time.  And I really have been fortunate to not miss that much.  Astute scheduling, vacation time, and down right luck enabled me to see most of his events, and to share in Stew's triumphs as well as the failures.  Never kept track, but I would suspect more ups than downs.

I have seen Stewart be the ultimate teammate.  He has always been encouraging to his teammates, tried to help them, respected his opponents, respected the game.  He has always respected his coaches and officials. I have never seen him get upset at a call or a result.  Obviously I have not seen every practice and contest, but I think I have seen enough and know him well enough to know the way he acts.  I am very proud of him, not only for the way he has competed, but also in the way he has interacted with his teammates, coaches, officials and opponents.

So now comes the end of the line.  I am packing up and making the drive to Massachusetts. I will watch Stewart's team compete one last time.  I hope he is healthy enough to give it a go.  I would love to see a few more left turns.  It's been a heck of a ride, and I may have had near as much fun as him. I would think there will still be some fun runs or beer league softball in his future, but it wont be the same.  But that doesn't matter either.  Hope he's enjoyed it and had fun with it.   I know I have.