Stand proud and cheer loud

Ya know what makes sports so great?

The big moments! The last-second buzzer shot at the end of the basketball game to win it, the interception with a 90-yard return for a touchdown, or the come from behind lap to barely win the race by a nose at the finish line.

Of course, there’s the low moments and boring times in sports too, but when those big, exciting moments happen, it makes it all worth it! And that’s what keeps people coming back, at least is does for me. I live for those moments!

And it doesn’t have to be professional or college sports, it’s anything. Even the little kids. When you see a 10-year-old hit a home run or an 8-year-old catch a pop fly, that’s exciting stuff!! When you see a Junior High kid make a half-court buzzer shot, the crowd erupts. Doesn’t matter if they lose 50 to nothing, that half-court shot will be what everyone remembers.

My problem is with those big moments in kids sports, is sometimes I kind of feel like I have to just sit in the stands all prim and proper and give a golf clap when one of my daughters makes a big play. I guess, so it doesn’t come across as bragging, I have to control my excitement to a certain level and not act like a crazy-eyed lunatic that just won the lottery. Like if my daughter makes a 3 pointer to tie the game or gets a hard volleyball kill, what I want to do is stand up and scream and shout and fist bump the fans around me, but instead I feel obligated to hold back, just clapping a little and yelling out an encouraging “good job”. When I see other kids have a really big moment, my first reaction is to glance at their parents to see their response and most of the time, they are fairly reserved but I tell ya what, if that was my kid that just scored 30 points in a basketball game, I would have wanted to charge the court in celebration!

Well, I decided … they should charge the floor! Celebrate the moment, for Pete’s sakes! Pick your kid up and spin them around!! Shoot, cry if you want to! Okay, let me clarify, only if the game’s over should they charge the floor and spin their kid or else they may get escorted out of the gym. But my point is, BE PROUD! If your kid has a big moment, it’s not bragging to get up and jump and scream and cheer. And if anyone around you gives you a sneer, they’re just bitter and not worth the trouble.

My middle daughter had one of those big moments last weekend at her softball tournament. Hit an out of the park home run over centerfield! First time ever AND I’ll be honest, it was awesome!! Did I sit in my lawn chair all stoic and reserved when I heard the crack of the bat and saw the ball clear the fence? Heck NO! I flew up outta my chair, threw my arms straight up in the air and yelled the deepest, loudest “YEAH” I had in me!!! Did I sit and smile politely as if that happens all the time, while she rounded the bases and was greeted by her entire team on home plate? NOPE! I turned and high-fived everyone around me within arm’s reach.

But afterward, on the way home, I felt guilty. I realized how wild I must have seemed at that moment and I wondered if I shouldn’t have celebrated so much. And then I stewed on this till the next day but when I saw that she had displayed her Home Run ball up in her room alongside with her medals, it hit me. Why do I feel so guilty for celebrating and why am I wasting time worrying about it? That could potentially be a once-in-a-lifetime moment for my daughter and I was blessed enough to be there to witness it. Those are the big moments that make sports so great! If I sat there and barely clapped just so I didn’t embarrass myself or appear as I’m bragging, then that’s sad. Life is too short for that so I’m going to stand proud and cheer loud and I encourage all other parents to do the same!