Friday, March 20, 2009

Sports Fanatics

In our family, we mark time by sports seasons. Every member of our crew plays and/or fanatically watches a particular sport.

Summer encompasses the laid-back summer swim season. Curly Girl has swum in summer league since she was six, and we're hoping that Car Guy will be able to freestyle or backstroke twenty-five meters so he can compete this year, too. Aside from that, we venture to the pool almost every day from June through August. I am just thankful that now I get to sit in a chair and read, instead of splashing around in the shallow end with a toddler.












Fall marks fall soccer for Car Guy and begins the year-round swim season for Curly Girl. Two years ago, when my daughter asked to swim year-round, I wasn't initially thrilled with the idea. After realizing what great exercise swimming offers and watching my husband relive his swim memories (He swam year-round in high school and for a Division I program in college), I now wholeheartedly support her year-round swimming. The only hard part is balancing her three times a week swim practices and weekend meets with Car Guy's weekly soccer practice and weekend games.

It does seem like fall centers around Florida Gator football, though. No, really, all Saturday plans from September through November must be scheduled around Gator football games. Patrick is obsessed with it. Thankfully, I have perfected the art of seemingly listening to a monologue debating the merits of the spread vs. the option, while actually thinking of something else. This past fall, Car Guy really got into the football zone with his dad. Little man insisted on watching the games, cheering, and asking lots of questions about the calls, plays, etc., and his dad loved every minute of it.
I am much happier, however, when basketball season begins. As a Duke Blue Devil, I obligingly follow football season, but know that things will always look up once basketball arrives. Aside from singing the fight song and cheering along with the Cameron Crazies on tv, I get to reminisce about the good 'ole days of camping out for basketball tickets in Kryzewskiville and burning benches after beating Carolina (See bench burning picture from the 1991 season below). Thank goodness my husband is a Duke fan because I really don't think I would have dated him for long, much less married him, if he cheered for UNC. Patrick even says he knew I was the one when I took him to the Duke-Carolina game at Cameron after we had been dating for about two months.

Spring heralds March Madness which is sometimes a fabulous time around here. My attitude toward the national event all rides on Duke's success in the tournament. Yes, I have been known to cry if the Devils go out too early for my liking, but I also already plan to take my kids on our annual Duke indoctrination field trip if we may need to purchase any new Duke victory t-shirts this year.

Spring also means the return of soccer season. Car Guy recently started playing again, and those nighttime February practices sure were cold. After a year's hiatus, Curly Girl is playing spring soccer, too. This year, we had the good fortune of learning about a JV soccer team that is run through a local homeschool athletic league, and my daughter is having a great time playing defense while making some new friends on her team.

How does your family mark the seasons? Sports, gardening, traditions, any other family activities?

No comments:

Post a Comment