Father-Son Basketball

I Just finished reading the book Courageous – based on Sherwood Baptists movie called Courageous.   It’s a book and movie that inspire Fathers to be there for their sons.   I always feel challenged in this department as ball sports are a bit challenging because of my eye sight and the break-neck-pace of life.   Aubrey and Andrew, our two oldest, always like to play ball sports and have especially found it fun for them here in Papua.   Most days find Andrew out playing “football” on the airstrip after school.   Andrew and Aubrey love Sunday night soccer and then when the season hits they both love foots-all (indoor version of soccer).

Recently, I got asked if I was going to play basketball in the Father-Son game at the end of Basketball season.   The last time I’ve done more than shoot P-I-G or H-O-R-S-E resulted in me wearing glasses.  Back then I was playing in a mixed group of tweens when a 13 year old girls rather impressive finger-nail went into my right eyeball resulting in some strong advice by my eye doctor.    I’ve got an extremely lazy left eye so my the skewered right eye left me with triple vision for a week.   That was 2001 – the year I was ordained into the gospel ministry.   The year of the glasses.   The year of toddlers.   The year triple towers came down in New York City.   I don’t know why everyone else says it was the twin tower when I’m sure I saw three of every thing.  Three sets of toddlers, Three sets of all my church members, Three of my wife – thank the good Lord the ordination committee didn’t ask about that last one.    You get the picture I was seeing triple back then but thanks to glasses I’m back to seeing single with my four eyes.

Now fast forward 12 years latter.   Those two toddlers now have wingspans bigger than their dad.   They aren’t taller than me yet but probably will be within the year.   Their feet have been bigger than me for a year now.  While they weren’t looking I stood on my tip-toes for the picture at the end of the game – But don’t tell them that.    It somehow boosted my ego to look at the picture and think – “ha!   I’m still bigger!”    But don’t tell them that I know that within the year I’m wagering I’ll be the midget amongst two giants – Aubrey and Andrew.

Here’s the stats on this old dad at the Father-Son game:

-  I shot 17 bricks for 0 points.   There’s a reason the defense left me so wide open.

-- I caused one kid to nearly knock his front teeth out when I backed up without looking.   It resulted in a nice bite mark on my shoulder.   Someone said, “Hey sir! put your eyeballs on the back side if you’re going to run that fast in reverse.”

-- Even though I run for exercise I found the short sprints up and down the court to be winding.

-- Got 6 rebounds and 4 stolen passes.   Resulting in the guy I was defending against commenting, “Give me a chance. . . Your bigger than me!”   To which I thought – No-sir-ee-buddy this maybe this dads last chance to win.   There ain’t no way I’m being responsible for a team of mostly 13 year old Sons whipping a team of mostly 40 year olds Dads.   That would truly mean we were over the hill.   Let’s delay that pain for one more year.

Final score – Dads 28 Sons – 24 

Somehow I think I need to brush up for next year starting now.  If the score is that close now. . . by next year, when they equal  or surpass us in height, I predict a W by the Sons column.   That might call for desperate measures like inventing a remote-control laser-guided Basketball or something.   Imagine what the sons defensive strategy might be then.   “Quick, jam the trigger on Dad’s invisible hand-to-rim anti-miss basketball launcher.”   Now that would be a movie better than Flubber!

Until next years Father-Son Basketball game.  .  .  Go Hillcrest International Schools – Middle School basketball team!   May you win a bunch next year.   Trying to be courageous and spend more time with my sons.   Go Father-Son time!   “Want to shoot some hoops – Sons?”

Watching one of my 17 bricks bounce off the rim.  I’m sure that rim had an anti-dad button on it.