Many people enjoy watching sports, and those who are genuinely interested in their favorite sport will participate in a variety of ways, involving their family and friends if they can. The excitement of the game results in a wave of cheers, laughter and crying during the pulse of the competition, wrong decisions and the suspense of biting the nails of even opponents. Some people host play parties at their homes. Others travel far, at great expense, to watch a game live and party before and after the event.
Especially those who have donned a uniform to play their favorite sport, their treasured memories come to life on game day. By tracking specific players, fans can live vicariously by sharing those players ‘hopes and triumphs, and can sympathize with them when those players’ dreams are shattered by injury or scandal. I have a friend who comes from a four-generation family that lives and breathes the sport of basketball. He has told me that as a child he immersed himself in basketball and it did not occur to him that he had the option to play. He loved it and still loves it. Plus, he went far in the game: a starting high school guard and a point guard on his college basketball team.
The eldest son in his family, my friend, understood the taunts about his responsibility to produce a progeny of basketball heroes – the next generation. He has two brothers who were also given that responsibility, but my friend’s wife got pregnant first. All generations of the family were buzzing about my friend and his wife, who turned down the doctor’s offers to identify the gender of their child before birth, just to keep everyone on the brink of suspense. Assumed as a child, many blue gifts were sent before the birth.
My friend saw his newborn in his wife’s arms, and she glowed in that moment. Then she looked at her husband and said something memorable to him. She said, “I did a boo boo.” And he told me that she told him the same for the next two births, with Boo Boo 3 being the last and last edition for his family. All three girls are loved by their family for generations. They also happen to be great basketball players. Boo Boo 3 won a college scholarship to play games! I love this story. My friend has such a blessed family, and the family tradition of loving basketball will be passed on to the next generation. # TAG1writer