How important is basketball?

[Captain_America]

I played sports in high school and college, and enjoyed it all. It didn’t do much for me socially, as far as I can tell, but it was good recreation. However, I didn’t play basketball or football.

I’ve got a son destined to be a great size for bball. He’s moderately interested and in sixth grade. How important is basketball?

I can see how All the Kids in High School are supposed to look up to basketball and football players and that there’s all this folderol and school pride rah-rah business. I suppose the social benefits are a big incentive, from a parent’s perspective.

BUT to get him to this point, it looks like a good-sized investment of time and money.

What’s your thoughts here?

 

[pensmama87]

If I were in your shoes, I would consider first whether my son enjoyed it enough to play competitively at all, whether that was for a school team or a recreational league. If he doesn’t, then playing on park courts/in the driveway is probably enough (if he doesn’t need to be pushed to do more than be a couch potato - some people need the regularly scheduled group activity for that reason, too. )

I wouldn’t push him into basketball over another sport because that team’s athletes seem to be more popular in school. How popular you were in high school stops mattering pretty much the instant you graduate. The positive social aspect of being on the team should be focused on sharing a healthy common interest with other boys his age. If it helps him foster friendships, sure, but that would go for any activity. Also, not all schools care equally about football or basketball - in my high school academics mattered more, though there was a core group of people who considered themselves popular who were involved in those things. But one could easily find and keep friends outside of those spheres.

If he’s good enough that he might be able to get a sports scholarship to a decent college with some practice, that’s something to consider too. But I wouldn’t push that unless he had a strong natural talent and a really big passion for the game (plus, basketball is probably one of the more competitive ones - if he liked something more obscure that was available to play at school, that might give him more of a scholarship opportunity). This is probably what would be the most expensive, because you’d probably feel a lot of pressure to do personal training, specialized camps, that kind of thing. It could also take all the fun out of playing for your son.

 

[SuperLuigi]

I played sports in high school and college, and enjoyed it all. It didn’t do much for me socially, as far as I can tell, but it was good recreation. However, I didn’t play basketball or football.

I’ve got a son destined to be a great size for bball. He’s moderately interested and in sixth grade. How important is basketball?

I can see how All the Kids in High School are supposed to look up to basketball and football players and that there’s all this folderol and school pride rah-rah business. I suppose the social benefits are a big incentive, from a parent’s perspective.

BUT to get him to this point, it looks like a good-sized investment of time and money.

What’s your thoughts here?

As a parent, I think it’s good if you can invest wisely in your kids talent. To some extent, it’s what you are supposed to do. Obviously, if you are having trouble putting food on the table, that’s another story.

Having kids in sports at public schools these days is expensive.

I’m wondering though where this line of thinking is going. If your son thinks he’s going to be in the NBA, well, there needs to be some realistic perspective and he needs to have a backup plan.

Otherwise, it’s good for kids like that to be in sports. It keeps them out of trouble, and kids who are involved in extracurricular activities tend to be more well-rounded. Those should be the reasons more than who looks up to who, because once they graduate, it’s all a memory and the torch gets passed.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

I played sports in high school and college, and enjoyed it all. It didn’t do much for me socially, as far as I can tell, but it was good recreation. However, I didn’t play basketball or football.

I’ve got a son destined to be a great size for bball. He’s moderately interested and in sixth grade. How important is basketball?

I can see how All the Kids in High School are supposed to look up to basketball and football players and that there’s all this folderol and school pride rah-rah business. I suppose the social benefits are a big incentive, from a parent’s perspective.

BUT to get him to this point, it looks like a good-sized investment of time and money.

What’s your thoughts here?

It is tough as a parent to look at this unbiased. If your kid likes basketball and has a talent (more than just being tall) then feel free to pursue it all you can. But if you find that some of it may be driven more by you than them then I would hold back.

If your son was short, real short, would you be as supportive of a gymnastics career? My point is that the drive should come from your child. And it CAN be nurtured and guided by the parents.

Being Tall does not mean they are good in basketball or any other thing. Or even that they like it. There are far more tall people who resent all the people that say they should play basketball than there are basketball players. And Basketball itself can be a great way to pay for college, but odds are that no matter how good your son, the professional league is something that is a very very slim chance of him achieving. I’m no giant, but I am on the taller side. Short guys score on me all the time, they did in school as well. But I do love PLAYING the game. I was always better at other sports but basketball was still fun for me and I am glad I learned how to play well.
Living in my current state, every parent plays basketball and every parent thinks their kid is some sort of Micheal Jordan. I was at Wal Mart a couple months ago and on thier break some employees were playing Basketball out back. Perhaps 6 people. I think all 6 had cigarettes in their mouths and definitely there was no one over 6-2 and under 250 but I’ll be danged if the were not sinking some pretty good shots! Kudos to them for at least attempting to do something healthy. In the midwest, that can be rare…

All that being said. My kids are HORRIBLE at Basketball. They are young but you can tell, that my girls will not have any sort of talent in it. However, as long as they enjoy playing we will probably have them in league for as long as we can.

 

[EasterJoy]

I’d encourage him to try different sports and support him in doing what he likes, proportionate to his effort and passion. For instance, if I had a child who was ready to get up at five every morning to practice ice skating, I’d make a far larger investment than I would for a child who liked baseball but never watched the professional game and pretty much threw his glove in the closet when the season was over until two weeks before the next spring try-out.

Most of us appreciate our parents’ support for our passions and treasure it as a sign of our parents’ willingness to support what is important to us, but feel support that goes far beyond our own passion as pressure. External pressure to excel causes resentment, even when the support is appreciated. More to the point, it is good for children to know that the primary determinant of their success is the effort they put in and the sacrifices they are willing to make in order to improve, not the money and time that Mom and Dad put up. There is a life lesson in that. Our policy was: If you sign up, you go to all the practices and games for that season, you practice at least as much as your coaches ask, and you follow the team rules, because that is the commitment you made. If you put in extra effort yourself, then you can have extras like some outside lessons. When the season is over, you can quit if you want, no questions asked.

You know that the camaraderie with other people who play your sport is probably the biggest social payoff it offers, but don’t discount the importance of the physical aspect. Although I would avoid pressure to excel, exercise is important, and competitive sport can be a very fun way to get it. I’d make it my policy that my child can choose whatever way he or she wants to get regular exercise, whether inside an organized or competitive structure or not, but he or she has to do something to get physically moving on a daily basis–Play 60, as the ad goes. To identify three or four different physical activities that the child enjoys is even better. That is a habit that can be expected to pay dividends for a lifetime.

As far as “a good size for basketball” goes, I’d say don’t go there. Many of the best football players are a “good size for basketball.” More importantly, if he wants to do golf or gymnastics, sports that don’t usually call for height, let him go that direction. It isn’t realistic for him to know he’s going to get to be 6’4" and to harbor the dream of riding a Kentucky Derby winner, but other than that most sports accommodate a wide range of body types, especially at the high school level and below. Let his passion and enjoyment be his guide, because those are the things that keep us coming back for the exercise we need.

 

[CradleJourney]

I played sports in high school and college, and enjoyed it all. It didn’t do much for me socially, as far as I can tell, but it was good recreation. However, I didn’t play basketball or football.

I’ve got a son destined to be a great size for bball. He’s moderately interested and in sixth grade. How important is basketball?

I can see how All the Kids in High School are supposed to look up to basketball and football players and that there’s all this folderol and school pride rah-rah business. I suppose the social benefits are a big incentive, from a parent’s perspective.

BUT to get him to this point, it looks like a good-sized investment of time and money.

What’s your thoughts here?

I’m going to describe how it is in my area of the country - your mileage may vary.

One - basketball starts sometime between ages 6 and 10 - through the local rec league and Y groups. These are good programs with volunteer coaches who are usually pretty passionate about the sport, but pretty understanding of how kids have different abilities. Practices are once or twice a week, season’s about 8 to 10 games long. Every player gets to play at least half of the game. Cost around $80. This is where most everyone starts.

Two - If your kid is showing skills and/or interest beyond their peers in rec ball, you move onto travel. Somewhere between the ages of 8 and 12. Try-outs are required, there may or may not be cuts depending on the sponsoring league, playing time based on ability and coaches decision. Practices are 2 to 4 times a week. Same number of games, but usually both games and practices are a little longer than rec. The games are against other teams made up of above average players - they are rougher and more intense than rec league where the make up of the teams is a pretty wide cross-section of ability. Travel costs in the $200 to $400 range, plus uniform cost, plus cost of traveling - often several hours or overnight for tournaments.

Three - Most elite kids here continue travel through their middle school years as well as being on the school team. (Travel teams at this age are often coached by assistant coaches connected to the local high school). This means daily practice and two sets of games a week. Somewhere in here they often also start attending specialty training classes (for agility/strength/etc) and will attend week long summer bball camps at local colleges. Continued expenses for traveling to away games - sometimes overnight, plus cost of both programs, several hundred $, plus cost of specialty training - $20 or more per hour session.

Four - If they are good enough then the cream of this crop make the high school team (we have a large high school so out of maybe 30 top players, 10-12 get to make the team). They then have their daily practices, plus off-season conditioning. In a way this gets easier because the cost goes down for participation and travel expenses, but may go up depending on how much extra skill training they’re needing. IF your school has a very good team and coaches, you may make it out of sectionals and into regionals and onto state whereby your child will get well noticed by colleges, possible scholarship. Even if they don’t, a solid four years in a competitive high school sports program looks good on a resume. High school sports also are very good at giving a child an automatic peer group - a set of buddies they can know and hang out with when facing the challenge of moving from middle school to high school. It gives them something to lose if faced with the decision of whether to get into trouble (automatic removal from team if caught at a party with alcohol for example is a great excuse to give as to why they won’t attend an event their “friends” are trying to push.) The downside is most high school teams end up spending 20+ hours a week on the sport while “in season” - and that’s in addition to the hours the child’s in school, and their homework requirements. Some kids are better at handling this than others.

So bottom line - if your child’s young - go for rec ball (or it’s equivalent in your area). CYO’s programs here are more competitive (no minimum required playing time) than the rec leagues but cost is the same. Then see how much they love it.

If you live in a well-populated area in the midwest, your child will be one of hundreds - if not thousand - playing this game, so I’d base my expectations accordingly. To make it to high school - let alone college, they are going to have to be skilled and be happy putting in hundreds of hours a year into the game. (This may not be true in areas of lower population and/or interest).

Because of this we have always let our child lead the way as far as how much they want to play (rec v. travel), and limited it to what we can manage time/cost wise. I will say this - if your kid really starts getting into it, make sure they know YOUR limits (ex. we can afford summer camp but not travel - or vice-versa) before they get too far so you can explain to them what the limits are.

I think the benefits to sports are many. Obesity is a big issue for our family so we mandate each child play at least one sport of their choice each year. Like I mentioned it can be a great social tool and provide support to resist peer pressure in high school. But even here in basketball country, a basketball player is not necessarily any better off than a soccer player, a XC runner, a swimmer, etc. Of course, like I said, we attend a large high school and each team tends to think of itself as the ‘important’ one

 

[KnitNut]

I played sports in high school and college, and enjoyed it all. It didn’t do much for me socially, as far as I can tell, but it was good recreation. However, I didn’t play basketball or football.

I’ve got a son destined to be a great size for bball. He’s moderately interested and in sixth grade. How important is basketball?

I’m not exactly sure what you’re asking? Having been involved in competitive sports yourself, you know a little of the commitment, time, and money involved. If your son (he’s, what, 11-12?) is interested in trying a sport, and you can afford the time/money involved, then by all means let him try. If he’s enthusiastic, then consider taking it to the next level. But since he has to do the heavy lifting, it has to be his enthusiasm that carries it. Maybe he’ll love it, maybe not. Either outcome is OK.

We let the kids try just about anything. My son did a season of gymnastics in his elementary years - liked it OK but not enough to do more. A few years of soccer - again, he liked the social aspects but it wasn’t “his” sport. In his pre-teen years, he tried a couple seasons of hoop - liked it, enjoyed the team, was a decent forward…but not his thing. In his teens, he opted for football on a very competitive team (his frosh squad was undefeated, soph year he played with varsity all the way to the state championship)…but as well as he/the team did, he really wasn’t enjoying it. So he decided to try ice hockey…and he found what he loves. This was the sport he was willing to get up at 4am on Sunday mornings to attend practice, to spend hours in the gym, to spend hours in PT rehabbing injuries. Even now that he’s in college, he still skates in multiple leagues (there’s a LOT of hockey around us). He’ll play for decades, I’m certain.

In my opinion, the bigger lesson is encouraging him to try things that interest him, and not to be afraid to a) not be good at it, b) not enjoy it. And then just see where he wanders!

 

[tomarin]

I played sports in high school and college, and enjoyed it all. It didn’t do much for me socially, as far as I can tell, but it was good recreation. However, I didn’t play basketball or football.

I’ve got a son destined to be a great size for bball. He’s moderately interested and in sixth grade. How important is basketball?

I can see how All the Kids in High School are supposed to look up to basketball and football players and that there’s all this folderol and school pride rah-rah business. I suppose the social benefits are a big incentive, from a parent’s perspective.

BUT to get him to this point, it looks like a good-sized investment of time and money.

What’s your thoughts here?

It doesn’t seem worse than any other sport, as far as teaching kids about sportsmanship and being a reliable teammate and trying one’s best in adverse circumstances, etc. Where does the expense come from, relative to other sports? They don’t have a lot of equipment to wear. (I’m thinking of ice hockey here.)

I really think it’s up to your son primarily, and how much he enjoys it.

 

[GEddie]

I’d imagine the expense comes primarily from expensive high-top shoes (which are rapidly outgrown as the body and feet lengthen) as well as the time and fuel to drive to training and events.

If he has the body, and the discretionary time and the desire, I’d say go ahead.

If however it would be a substantial financial sacrifice or the grades start to fall, etc, don’t be afraid to drop it. Jock pride and girlfriend advantage really aren’t worth that much.

ICXC NIKA.

 

[Philomeena]

It does not have to be a long term investment for him to try it. I also would not put so many long term goals and expectations onto him trying out this sport. My daughter is an athletic and VERY tall girl. She is not gifted at basketball at all.

“I can see how All the Kids in High School are supposed to look up to basketball and football players and that there’s all this folderol and school pride rah-rah business. I suppose the social benefits are a big incentive, from a parent’s perspective”

I am not sure what the above means exactly but it reminded me of something my son said when he was in middle school. He said that the “popular” kids were not always popular for good reasons and that he was not willing to do what it took to be “popular”. If “All the Kids in High School are supposed to look up to bball and fb players” then my family missed a memo somewhere. We look up to those who use their talents well and treat others kindly. I know in the high school my kids attend, many football players and their coaches abuse their “status” by behaving like jerks and are actually looked down on. Some really nice kids who play football get wrongly lumped in with the bad seeds so if anything, I would say the opposite might be true. Your son might have to work harder to be looked up to, which is not necessarily a bad thing

Relax and good luck

Bottom line, try not to attach so much to a psosible interest or ability in this sport.

 

[1ke]

Let your kid take the lead and do all the work.

Wants to play- he signs up for the junior high team where he plays for free with team issued equipment, bus rides, and practice (probably has to have his own shoes).

Doesn’t want to play - he doesn’t sign up for the junior high team.

Lessons, private leagues, fancy equipment-- bah humbug.

If he likes basketball, he’ll sign up for it again the next year. If he doesn’t, he won’t. The ball is in his court, so to speak.

 

[Captain_America]

I’m not exactly sure what you’re asking? Having been involved in competitive sports yourself, you know a little of the commitment, time, and money involved. If your son (he’s, what, 11-12?) is interested in trying a sport, and you can afford the time/money involved, then by all means let him try. If he’s enthusiastic, then consider taking it to the next level. But since he has to do the heavy lifting, it has to be his enthusiasm that carries it. Maybe he’ll love it, maybe not. Either outcome is OK.

We let the kids try just about anything. My son did a season of gymnastics in his elementary years - liked it OK but not enough to do more. A few years of soccer - again, he liked the social aspects but it wasn’t “his” sport. In his pre-teen years, he tried a couple seasons of hoop - liked it, enjoyed the team, was a decent forward…but not his thing. In his teens, he opted for football on a very competitive team (his frosh squad was undefeated, soph year he played with varsity all the way to the state championship)…but as well as he/the team did, he really wasn’t enjoying it. So he decided to try ice hockey…and he found what he loves. This was the sport he was willing to get up at 4am on Sunday mornings to attend practice, to spend hours in the gym, to spend hours in PT rehabbing injuries. Even now that he’s in college, he still skates in multiple leagues (there’s a LOT of hockey around us). He’ll play for decades, I’m certain.

In my opinion, the bigger lesson is encouraging him to try things that interest him, and not to be afraid to a) not be good at it, b) not enjoy it. And then just see where he wanders!

Thanks. Good stuff. i like the hockey mention: I was keen at that at his age and mostly did baseball and hockey. When I was a kid, we didn’t have junior-sized basketballs and lowered hoops, and throwing a basketball was a heavy lift for a 9-10 year old. I didn’t play bball much until jr. high school, and even then, not much in my neighborhood. I kind of have grown up without knowing the finer points of the sport.

Experimenting’s good.

 

[GaryTaylor]

If I had to this all over again between myself and my son. Golf, golf would be the game. Its not a team sport so you only depend on yourself. No-one to blame but yourself.

Anyway its good for the kids, structure, commitment, exercise, adversity, positive social interaction, team-work and unity of family, and most important, it builds character. They are not as sheltered and become socially adept and somewhat independent rather quick. Lots of peer pressure though, especially as you move toward HS and college. The school work usually lags during the season, and becomes increasing better before the season. Its a push year around

Keep school the priority at all costs. If the school is suffering the sports has to go. I don’t know about the cost. It really wasn’t expensive then, is was different, and once in HS or college then it cost nothing but your time and effort. The leagues and YMCA, Boys Club, sports camps, and so forth is where all the expense is now and the equipment before HS.

Its a good move for youth if they have a natural interest and like to compete, but you need to keep a close eye on it. I wouldn’t push anyone into it, its a lot of work and if you decide to play, then you have no-one to blame. When my son was in HS all the guys pretty much lived over my house. It becomes difficult when they are struggling or slacking. I use to argue with my son more over what he wasn’t doing than what he was. Its fun when your very young. Its fun still later on but its hard work and even more so in the off season. And each level is another challenge, the competition becomes much tighter as you move up. They are all good at some point and the difference becomes your commitment.

I really didn’t encourage my son with sports, in fact I preferred he didn’t play. So after all that dialogue, when he did play, I wasn’t trying to hear the “I’m tired” talk etc. You know, even though your not playing you go through the trials with them. And I knew all the trials so that was to my advantage. Its time consuming for the parents also. We spent a bit of time between my son playing two sports, lots of running around to see the games, practice, and there is always the injuries.

It could be an asset or a pain in the neck. Its really up to the individual. Think it over. You go through all the changes with them, and when they are beat up and tired and want to quit, your gonna have go against your better judgement often and push them and encourage them.

 

[Zzyzx_Road]

Passion for the sport is crucial. Does he have that much? If yes, then there is a lot to work with if he has some talent and athleticism relative to his peers. Also, I have seen kids fall out of love for their sport in the midst of the youth league grind. Brilliant by age 12, burned out by 15, that sort of thing. A lot of coaches expect a year round commitment to the sport, sometimes to the exclusion of other sports kids might want to play. So I’d let your son go down that path, but watch for the loss of passion for the game, that will be your signal to let him pull back and maybe do something else.

Something that I got from my parents: once the commitment is made for the current season, don’t quit in the middle, stick it out to the end, then it’s okay to quit.

One other remark: can’t teach size, size always counts for something in basketball and football, not as much in baseball, very little in soccer (unless playing goalie). Size with athleticism? You got something there if the passion for the game is also there.

 

[pianistclare]

If I had to this all over again between myself and my son. Golf, golf would be the game. Its not a team sport so you only depend on yourself. No-one to blame but yourself.

Anyway its good for the kids, structure, commitment, exercise, adversity, positive social interaction, team-work and unity of family, and most important, it builds character. They are not as sheltered and become socially adept and somewhat independent rather quick. Lots of peer pressure though, especially as you move toward HS and college. The school work usually lags during the season, and becomes increasing better before the season. Its a push year around

Keep school the priority at all costs. If the school is suffering the sports has to go. I don’t know about the cost. It really wasn’t expensive then, is was different, and once in HS or college then it cost nothing but your time and effort. The leagues and YMCA, Boys Club, sports camps, and so forth is where all the expense is now and the equipment before HS.

Its a good move for youth if they have a natural interest and like to compete, but you need to keep a close eye on it. I wouldn’t push anyone into it, its a lot of work and if you decide to play, then you have no-one to blame. When my son was in HS all the guys pretty much lived over my house. It becomes difficult when they are struggling or slacking. I use to argue with my son more over what he wasn’t doing than what he was. Its fun when your very young. Its fun still later on but its hard work and even more so in the off season. And each level is another challenge, the competition becomes much tighter as you move up. They are all good at some point and the difference becomes your commitment.

I really didn’t encourage my son with sports, in fact I preferred he didn’t play. So after all that dialogue, when he did play, I wasn’t trying to hear the “I’m tired” talk etc. You know, even though your not playing you go through the trials with them. And I knew all the trials so that was to my advantage. Its time consuming for the parents also. We spent a bit of time between my son playing two sports, lots of running around to see the games, practice, and there is always the injuries.

It could be an asset or a pain in the neck. Its really up to the individual. Think it over. You go through all the changes with them, and when they are beat up and tired and want to quit, your gonna have go against your better judgement often and push them and encourage them.

I will add the priority of Religious Ed.
You don’t know how much Parish staff have to battle the notion that sports is more important than faith, because they plan on son or daughter getting a college scholarship for (insert sport here). So they have to miss this that or the other at Church. Even Mass.
I know you won’t fall prey to this, but it happens. Kids get over scheduled. That would be my only concern. And when it ceases to be fun? Just skip it. But sports are wonderful for health and socialization. It’s the “elite” teams where you run into ridiculous costs. School sports. that’s what they are there for! If the boy has oodles of talent, believe me, the college scouts will find him.
Good luck!

 

[tomarin]

Passion for the sport is crucial. Does he have that much? If yes, then there is a lot to work with if he has some talent and athleticism relative to his peers. Also, I have seen kids fall out of love for their sport in the midst of the youth league grind. Brilliant by age 12, burned out by 15, that sort of thing.

Remember Andre Agassi’s shocking revelation that he has hated tennis most of his life?

 

[Beryllos]

I am tall and my classmates often told me I should play basketball. I enjoyed playground pickup games and intramurals but wasn’t quite good enough even for high school JV.

My most enjoyable basketball experience was as a young man in my mid-20s. For me, it was a great social sport. A bunch of friends and regulars would gather at certain times for pickup games, shirts and skins, at the school playground or open gym at the university. I was in good shape and could play hard and love it. Those were good times.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

I am tall and my classmates often told me I should play basketball. I enjoyed playground pickup games and intramurals but wasn’t quite good enough even for high school JV.

My most enjoyable basketball experience was as a young man in my mid-20s. For me, it was a great social sport. A bunch of friends and regulars would gather at certain times for pickup games, shirts and skins, at the school playground or open gym at the university. I was in good shape and could play hard and love it. Those were good times.

I will say that pick up games or play ground games are absolutely a blast socially. Way more fun that a competitive team game. And what father worth his spit has not played a good ole game of horse with his children?

“From in the tree, over the house, off dads car, top of the backboard nothing but net.” Was a common sentence in my neighborhood.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

I will add the priority of Religious Ed.
You don’t know how much Parish staff have to battle the notion that sports is more important than faith, because they plan on son or daughter getting a college scholarship for (insert sport here). So they have to miss this that or the other at Church. Even Mass.
I know you won’t fall prey to this, but it happens. Kids get over scheduled. That would be my only concern. And when it ceases to be fun? Just skip it. But sports are wonderful for health and socialization. It’s the “elite” teams where you run into ridiculous costs. School sports. that’s what they are there for! If the boy has oodles of talent, believe me, the college scouts will find him.
Good luck!

Absolutely. I remember a father that had a son on the local football team. The game ran right into a confirmation retreat. Neither could be moved on the schedule (it was a Catholic high school game) And the dad marched that kid right into the retreat and told him that it was more important than any one game. I took that kid aside, (he was not happy to be there) And told him that I thought he had the manliest, coolest most Bad *** Dad I have ever seen. And that he should be proud to have such a cool, macho, unbelievably tough dad. And his dad reminded me of an honorable warrior. Well, that kid really took what I said to heart. Years later, he told me that it forever changed the way he thought of his dad and to this day, his relationship with his dad is infinitely better. And the young man is a good Catholic who is on a scholarship playing football for a great team, the same team his dad played for.

 

[pianistclare]

Absolutely. I remember a father that had a son on the local football team. The game ran right into a confirmation retreat. Neither could be moved on the schedule (it was a Catholic high school game) And the dad marched that kid right into the retreat and told him that it was more important than any one game. I took that kid aside, (he was not happy to be there) And told him that I thought he had the manliest, coolest most Bad *** Dad I have ever seen. And that he should be proud to have such a cool, macho, unbelievably tough dad. And his dad reminded me of an honorable warrior. Well, that kid really took what I said to heart. Years later, he told me that it forever changed the way he thought of his dad and to this day, his relationship with his dad is infinitely better. And the young man is a good Catholic who is on a scholarship playing football for a great team, the same team his dad played for.

Awesome story, thanks!