I had a moment last week Im not particularly proud of -- one of those projecting my sports dreams onto my kid moments. It was minor, in the grand scheme of things, but it stuck with me. So I drafted this message to him, to remind both of us what its all about.Hey, pal,Weve put in a lot of time together in the driveway and on the rec team. We talk about obscure NBA summer league players and listen to the Pure Sweat Basketball podcasts and follow the summer results of Team Takeovers 10-and-under championship AAU team on Instagram. I love watching you play.And I love that you love playing sports. But what really matters most isnt that I love anything -- its that you love it.Last week, I sent you to the legendary DeMatha Basketball Camp. Adrian Dantley! Danny Ferry! Victor Oladipo! Markelle Fultz!Im going to be really honest here: That was my dream, not yours. You were happy to drive 45 minutes away to play at a prestigious school -- if less happy to get dominated all day by much better, older players -- but the experience left me feeling as hollow as any moment on this sports journey we have had together. Because it was as much about me as you. (Sigh -- maybe more.)There is always going to be a certain amount of projection by a parent onto a kids athletics. That is basically the basis for the gajillion-dollar youth-sports industry. But seeing you in the camp T-shirt that I wanted so badly but never earned when I was a kid, I didnt feel excited for you -- I mostly felt ashamed of myself.Now that you are 10, its time for this to be your journey, all the way. I cant remind you to work on your dribbling; you have to appreciate on your own that the game becomes so much easier and more fun when you have a better handle. I cant encourage you to hustle for rebounds from the bleachers of the gym; you have to want to want them for yourself (or have a real coach instruct you).I cant let my 43 years of perspective eclipse your 10, even if it means that you potentially miss some exciting opportunities. From here on out, your mom and I are just here to support you as you figure out what role you want sports to play in your life.Trust me: Without me contributing so directly -- sharing sideline wisdom or rec-league postgame hot takes or handing you my phone so you can read the latest inspirational basketball quote from Coach Twitter -- youll still love basketball. Honestly, you can (and will!) love it even more than you can even realize right now.Youre going to keep playing and getting better and taking lessons from the sport that are going to be even more important than what happens on the court -- about being a good teammate and showing leadership and developing resilience and having meaningful relationships.Youre going to play ferocious pickup games with your buddies in high school and compete for intramural titles in college that rival anything that happens at the Final Four, and one day youre going to meet someone who will invite you into a weekly drop-in game of other middle-aged people who love basketball, and it sounds silly, but honestly, thatll feel like your NBA, even if you never make it to the high school varsity. Well love watching you learn, grow and -- yes -- play, all the way.Heres a promise: Ill always do my best to say yes if you ask me to rebound the ball for you in the driveway or count your free throws or just stand there mutely as you zip to the basket around me. But it is not fair to you for me to ask you -- Im just the parent ......?you are the player.Go get em,DadDan Shanoff writes about parenting for espnW. You can connect with him on Twitter at @danshanoff, follow Dans parenting effort on Instagram or continue the conversation on espnWs Facebook page.Discount Jerseys Wholesale . Louis Cardinals. Victorino is batting sixth and playing right field after missing two games because of back tightness. Discount Jerseys Cheap .C. -- Glenn Howard needed an extra end to move into the Masters Grand Slam of Curling final. https://www.discountjerseysonline.com/ . PETERSBURG, Fla. Discount Jerseys Custom . Jeff Green scored 13 points and Kris Humphries 12 for the Celtics, who nearly blew an 18-point, second-half lead. Sullingers 20-20 was the first by a Celtics player since Kevin Garnetts first game in Boston in 2007. Garnett was dealt -- along with Paul Pierce -- to Brooklyn during the off-season. Discount Jerseys Authentic .S. Open champion Justin Rose birdied the first hole with a blind shot he hit to a foot of the pin, and he stayed in front Tuesday until he completed a 4-under 67 for a two-shot lead over Jason Dufner in PGA Grand Slam of Golf.HAMDEN, Conn. -- Nate Hickman scored 23 points and Luke Petrasek added 18 points and 14 boards to help lift Columbia past Quinnipiac 86-78 on Monday night.Columbia (2-1) shot 51.8 percent from the floor compared with 32.4 percent for Quinnipiac (0-2).Petrasek had a dunk and a layup and Hickman added a layup and the Lions tied the score at 23 with 8:44 left before halftime. Columbia then used a 25-7 run to build a 48-30 lead at the break.The Lions led in double digits for the majority of the second half.ddddddddddddMikey Dixon led Quinnipiac with 17 points, Chaise Daniels had 4 points and six rebounds and Abdulai Bundu contributed 13 points and nine rebounds. Quinnipiac missed 14 free throws on the night.Its Columbias first-ever win in the four-game series. The schools hadnt played each other since a 63-51 Bobcats win on Dec. 23, 2009. ' ' '
