Well, since I'm in the midst of summer session mid-term hell, it seems like I spend every spare moment studying for a test. At least I got a little break today at a big family cookout. It was actually a pretty near perfect day, with tons of laughter, great food and lots of swimming. I began the day by accompanying my daughter to a friend's birthday party. Ten seven year olds bowling and drinking way too much soda, but they had a great time. I coach several of the girls who were in attendance, including the birthday girl.
I think that probably the best part of a child being on a team is that they can always count on their teammates to attend their birthday parties. Several weeks ago my daughter went to a party for a school friend and she was the only invited guest to show up. The poor mother of the kid was distraught. She'd planned the party for weeks and sent out the invitations early, had it at a really fun indoor basketball gym adjacent to a popular park, but still... no one came. I talked with her at length about considering enrolling her son in a team sport of some kind. A week later it was my own daughter's birthday. I held her party at the gymnastics facility where I coach. Of course, we invited tons of kids, including her friend from school whose party was all but ruined from lack of attendance. I felt so bad for his mother, because when she saw how many kids came to my daughter's party, she was awe struck.
We invited thirty-five children to my daughter's party and of those, thirty-three showed up. Of the two who couldn't make it, one was sick and the other had to go away for the weekend. The mom who had been so upset at her son's party, has told me several times since my daughter's big day, that she has never in her life seen anything like my daughter's party. She couldn't get over the turn out of kids. But I explained to her that of the kids who attended, only three were school friends, the rest are all my daughter's teammates and that my daughter's birthday parties are like that every year.
I ran into that mother yesterday while shopping for a birthday present for the party we attended today. She told me she signed her son up for baseball camp and plans on keeping him in a team sport. Then she asked me how I, a single parent, finds the time to be a writer, go to school and coach gymnastics. I told her that it's not easy. I work my tail off, and right now my writing is suffering from the time crunch. But I wouldn't change the coaching part. I do that so I can spend time with my child. I do that because if I didn't coach I couldn't afford to have my daughter in such an expensive sport. But the main reason I coach is that through doing it I am able to give my child a team experience that you simply cannot put a price on. She is having the time of her life, making lasting friendships and memories that will stay with her long after she stops doing back hand springs.
Could I write more if I didn't coach? Sure. Would it be worth the trade off? That is a test that I wouldn't risk failing.
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