Golfers

Joel Andrew started Golf yesterday - lessons at The First Tee in North Hampton, NH.  I am really not sure why more parents do not do this program with their kids.  I tried to get a ton of the parents to do this in town - maybe it sells up quickly?  Here is the immediate educational deal - it doesn't really teach golf (well it does, by default) - but the main lessons are honesty, integrity, respect, responsibility... you can read all about their core values here. They "promote life skills and leadership using golf."  It is a skill building all around program.

Sounds good?

All of this is amazing, just what I want my little guy to be doing.  But, the kicker is that although this is a main reason why I am happy to have Joel take part, there is also a huge other reason why I am loving this after school activity for him:  the activity and fun for the rest of us while he is in class.  Sounds strange?  Well...

Ever wait in a small, boring, smelly locker room or dance hall space with a fidgety younger sibling while the older is in a class?  How about try to get work done while kids are screaming in Karate?  How many bug bites did you get at junior's game last weekend, and how about missing weekend event after weekend event because your little one just has to "show up for his team."  What about showing up for his family?  He is 6.  His team does not yet care.  Talk to me when it is a serious game or competition.  You can't have a game every week and say it is important they be there, when they are 6.

Anyway, you can guess where I am going with this.  Well - not really...  Because here it is.  While Joel was learning about taking turns hitting the golf ball, high fiving his team mates as they went towards a common goal...  James and I were playing mini-golf.  And then James was having a snack (from the snack bar, no whining cause mommy forgot!).  And then Mommy was reading a book.  If I came without James, I could have gone to the driving range.  His Dad could go to the driving range!

A kicker here, I don't even like golf!  My cousin was an amazing golf player and she taught kids the game (I am guessing it was in a similar set-up, if not the exact same non profit, just elsewhere.)  She is smiling down on my Joelly, hopefully giving him some good wishes to have the patience for this game.

Why did I do this?  I didn't know about the full family fun that awaited me.  The true reason why I signed Joelly up is that he is a lucky kid, he is growing up in this extremely privileged community and an awesome environment.  With trips to Hilton Head and (hopefully) fancy schools down the line.  He needs these sports, the ones that actually will bring you somewhere.

Why does everyone keep pushing the football or the soccer?  You have heard my mantra about not wanting to be apart of that schedule monopolizing, aggression pushing sports.  I have never once heard any of my peers tell me that football got them far.  It was what they learned from the sport, if they had a good coach, that got them where they are.  Not the sport itself.

You know what sports do get you far?  Running.  Ha!  It's a joke.  Well not really, running is a good way to challenge oneself.  But I digress.

So, what sports really do get you far?  Tennis, Golf, Squash.  Maybe running or cycling falls into this category too.  These are the sports people do in business.  They go out together (for the latter two it seems relays are really catching on!), and real things happen if you can do them.  People respect you more if you ski.  I learned this first hand.  Unless your in the NFL, no one cares if you once played football or soccer. But, you play tennis?  Let's meet sometime!  Ski?  I have a condo at such and such mountain, come up we will ski.  You play golf?  Let's meet for a four hour round where important work conversations are sure to come up.  Phil can't join us though, he plays football. That's ok.  I'll take your work and Phil can wait until next year!

So, I am sticking with the golf, the tennis, and the other activities that build the life skills as long as Joelly will have them.  Daddy can take Joelly to all of the other "games" that ruin our weekend schedules.  Hopefully I will win, but for some reason these kids are just so obsessed with football and the organized sports here.