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This past weekend, I had a chance to
teach - and learn!
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You know
Eye On Sports readers; there is always a chance to teach, even when you don’t
know it. For example, this past weekend, as I sat down watching the aftermath
of Chicago Bulls’ point guard Derrick Rose’s season-ending ACL injury with my
nine-year-old son Emmanuel, I got an excellent chance to teach.
After
explaining what an ACL injury was and the length of time and rehabilitation it
takes to get healthy again, my son (who know I don’t like the Miami Heat very
much) says, ‘I wish that would happen to LeBron James”.
As I
turned toward my son stunned, I immediately told him, “don’t say that” and then
proceeded to explain why, as an athlete, you never wish an injury on an
opponent.
Immediately
thereafter, I asked my son if he understood, and he replied “yes, I do”. I then
asked if he wanted to beat the ‘other team’ when they were at ‘their best’ and
I got another “yes”, Finally, I asked my wonderful son if he wanted to see
LeBron James injured or any other Miami Heat player and he responded with
another “no”.
Last but
not least, I also told my son that, while I am certainly not the world’ biggest
LeBron James fan, I really, really admired, the still youthful, James and
vehemently would to anyone that said otherwise, for the way he has carried
himself off the court ever since he came into the NBA.
I
explained how James had never been in any trouble with the law whatsoever, how
he didn’t ‘hang at the clubs’ until the wee hours of the early mornings,
frivolously throw away his vast earnings, or live some wild and dangerous lifestyle, to which my surprised
son shook his head in understanding and agreement.
Oh, and
just so you know Eye On Sports fans, I also took the moment as an opportunity
to be taught … that I need to be careful with how much I say I ‘dislike’ a
certain team or player in the presence of a child, particularly when that
individual has been a genuine role model in every facet of their non-athletic
life.
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