The Inconvience of Sports

Ok so you all know by now that Alex is an athlete. We don't know where the mutant gene comes from, but we suspect it is from the Cluff side of the family. Sam Cluff played professional basketball and Camille is an athlete too. She even gets her children involved in races. She is amazing!
Anyways Alex, as you may remember plays LAX, basketball, and football. Although he says that he is not going to do football, I'll believe it when i see it. I am already getting emails about him being on Varsity and try outs don't begin for another month.
It all started when Alex was under 6. Well actually Grandpa reminds us that when he was 18 mos that he would shoot a ball at things that he would aim at and hit them.

He reminded me that with Alex was about 18 mos, Barbara and I had flown out to UT with Alex(Scott and Joe drove) for Barbara's Mom 80th or 90th birthday. We were in Aunt Kathryn's house and Alex started aiming a ball and throwing it at her 'pretties.' Much to my dismay, he was hitting them. She had several children so her house was 'child proof.' She had thing up higher than expected . Aunt Louise came in, watched him and announced that we needed to get him into a special school.
All we did was sign him up for YMCA classes.
He played in the neighborhood and at the YMCA or at the Rec.
We started hearing grumbling when he was about to enter middle school. See, we never did the travel teams.I was against them. Why should we pay LOTS of $$$ and put in that kind of family commitment.I mean, they have travel teams as young as 7!!! They practice two to three times a week( soemtimes 4 or 5) and have weekend tournaments EVERY WEEKEND never at home either.
We don't let Alex play on Sundays.
So anyways other parents said he hadn't 'paid his dues' so he would never make the teams. He did.
In eighth grade, a coach for one of these travel teams saw Alex playing in open gym asked him who he was, why he didn't play travel. I entered the gym just in time to hear him say that he doesn't play on Sundays. That was the beginning of our friendship with Coach Bill Huddle. He allowed Alex to play an respected him never to play on Sundays
I was looking forward to Alex to being on school teams. I thought long gone would be the days of driving here there and everywhere. He would just try out- if he made it, he would practice after school, take the late bus and we would go root for him on game day.
I could not have been more wrong.
First of all all sports are year round. After the season is over, you have this league and that camp. These are JV or Varsity leagues. Coaches expect that if you are going to be on the team next year, that you will be active in these leagues. ON top of that they are expected to do weight training program as well.
Second, the 'Late bus leaves literally 15 mins before practice ends. When I asked why,I was told it was not for athletes.I guess it is for those who stay after for academic matters. Do you know that it is 7 miles one way for me to go to the high school?
I said ENOUGH!
I told the coaches that Alex could participate when our schedule allowed, but we are not slaves to the sport. Imagine the looks I received.
After cutting a lot (more than 50%) out here is schedule for this past week until this weekend.

Monday: practice and basketball game at home
Tuesday: afternoon LAX practice, and night Basketball game( 22 miles away)
Wednesday: free, but suppose to weight train for all three sports
Thursday: Afternoon LAX practice and basketball game(22miles away)
Friday: leave at noon to play at a college in PA(basketball) plays 2 or 3 games
Saturday: still in PA and plays 5 games( all under the PHS high school Varsity uniform).

This weekend he was suppose to be in Albany for a LAX tourney.
I said no. There were too many Sunday games.
I wasn't going to take him there and Scott is out of town at Scout camp.
This is part of the email I received

We area little over 72 hours from the tournament and here are our challenges
and where we need your help.

Mr. L is expected to deliver the $800 varsity fee and a team Saturday
morning, as of this evening only one varsity player has paid for the summer
program. I am sure we would all agree that Mr. L and one player should
not be not be solely responsible for this debt.
* Our next challenge is our ability to field a team. We have only had about
three to four varsity players at any one of the Tuesday/Thursday practices
thus far. We feel that at a minimum we need at least 15 guys to pull off
five games this weekend. We need to hear directly from each player
regarding their intentions so we can get a solid count.
* With regard to our reputation, I am sure we will lose a lot of credibility
with the host Albany Power folks should we fail to deliver our fee and our
team this weekend.
* There will be a practice on Thursday at PHS please make a it a priority to
attend!

I appreciate your attention and response to this matter and look forward to
working with each of you in delivering on all aspects of the Penfield
Lacrosse tradition and reputation.


I am like too bad. Friday night Alex is bring a friend to Pageant. I get a call that he is NEEDED.
I express our concerns,frustrations and limitations. They are accommodating Alex so that we can all be happy.

Well fine except.... I am NOT happy about it.

What is the big deal?
Why is it necessary for kids to practice all year round? I mean I can see with LAX because PHS often wins sectionals, often states too.
Why are camps and summer leagues and this and that needed. They never learn anything new. Camps (that we are NOT doing) I have decided are just ways for coaches to make big$$$ during the summer. 100 $ a pop Gimme a break. Like I can't see through that!

Alex is actually getting a job, some people go on vacation. Yes those things effect your chances on a team- ask Harkola. He was punished for his family going to a family reunion.

Crazy.

We have priorities and it's a privilege for them to have my son

not vise versa