#SportsCrazy

I married into the most athletic family in the world.

And because of that this fall we have:

10 kids on a swim team in a league.

3 girls on a high school swim team.

4 boys on three different football teams.

3 girls on a high school cross country team.

And one girl on a college cross country team.

I’d say we will be a little crazy from now until mid-November.

But before you declare us fit for straight jackets, let me just tell you that while my daily calendar might look like an impossible dare, I wouldn’t give up one ounce of what all this training and competition will do for my children and their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual growth.

Yes, sports can do all that for a kid.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…

Sports, competition, athleticism, and team are the fire of drive. Sports is the place that overcoming and perseverance is well developed. It’s where a kid learns that anything is possible if I just train. Work. Encourage. Try harder. Get stronger. And leave it all out there on the field or at the end of the race. The game. The meet.

Are there other ways to develop this kind of character? Sure.

Are sports the only thing that develops their character in this way? Of course not.

But I have found it to be a vital piece of the puzzle in our family. Even though I was not born an athlete, there is absolutely nothing I enjoy more than seeing them sweat and grind and work and completely exhaust themselves with effort. It is a beautiful thing to behold. I hope that if your child is not currently involved in any athletic endeavor, you will seriously sign them up this fall. They may not be the star of the NBA one day, but they will grow taller in their own minds by seeing and hearing your encouragement as they try.

Also, I can not say ENOUGH about all the good that comes out of swimming for a league. I’ve been on the same pool deck for 16 years and before that my husband and his family had been there for 20 years prior.