The End of a Relationship

No More Football.
Photo by Dave Adamson on Unsplash

Dear NFL,

You don’t know me.

But I know you.

In fact, I used to love you.

Eagles Love

Fall Sundays centered around the schedule of my cherished Philadelphia Eagles.

Who am I kidding?

It wasn’t just Fall Sundays that were dedicated to football. I spent hours through the off-season reading articles and watching videos about the Eagles, swallowing up every detail. By the time pre-season arrived, I’d be able to break down the battle for fourth string tight end.

Yeah, I was a fanatic. But it was worth it.

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Coaching Little League: I’d Rather Win… But

LittleLeagueCoachIt was the 8th inning of a 6th inning game. Who knew Little League softball had extra innings?

One boy (Let’s call him Aaron) had sat on the bench for multiple innings. Aaron was in the 2nd grade or the youngest in the band (2nd-4th grade) and a weak player. He was anxious when the ball came to him and rarely caught it. He had a weak arm.

Another boy (let’s call him David) was the last person left who had yet to sit on the bench. David was in 4th grade and was very good for his age. A ball hit to him was as sure as an out can be for the first rung of Little League.

In that 8th inning, as the Little League Coach, I had a decision to make: Who to sit? What was important – putting the team in the best position to win or making sure everyone had a chance. I chose the latter.

Inevitably, Aaron was involved in a defensive play. He made an error, and the other team scored. We were unable to score in our inning, and our team lost.

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Help Me – I Need a Diversion

Sports Diversion

With the world going mad and sense seemingly lost, we need diversions.

I had a diversion, but it’s gone now.

You see there are two key elements to a diversion – it takes your mind off of another matter, and it is pleasant. Dictionary.reference.com defines diversion this way: distraction from business, care, etc.; recreation; amusement; a pastime:

So, when you can’t handle hearing any more of the horrific news of late, you need a diversion, something pleasant.

Maybe that diversion is cooking, singing, playing video games, or playing with your pet rock. Whatever – I’m not here to judge.

Anyway, I had a diversion. It was one that brought me great joy even though, at times, it also brought me disappointment.

But now all this diversion seems to do is bring me frustration. It’s left me muttering more often than the oddball you see on the train on your commute home from work.

What is this diversion you may be asking? Well, the diversion is being a fan and follower of the Philadelphia sports teams.

They all stink!

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Fencing: The Right Sport for SJ

Fencing LessonBefore your child was born, you had expectations, hopes, and dreams. You probably had visions of activities you would do together. Maybe, those visions were of computer games, cooking, tea parties, hikes, or trips to the theatre.

My vision was of sports. When my boys were born, I figured it was only a question of when we would be throwing the ball around, slapping hands over an athletic fete, and discussing the prospects for our favorite teams.

SJ came out of the womb big – 9’ 4” – with eyes closed and looking perfectly content. As he grew up, he displayed o.t. issues and had low muscle tone. He struggled with hand eye coordination.

His was not the body of an athlete.

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