I Never Thought the Sidelines Would Become One of My Favorite Places
Dr. Mom | Raising Whole Athletes
I am taking a tiny pivot from my normal educational and informative post and instead of mostly doctor... today i'm feeling mostly MOM.
Before having kids, I never imagined how much of my life would eventually be spent sitting on the sidelines.
Practices. Games. Training sessions. Weekends in the gym. Driving back and forth. Packing snacks and water bottles. Talking about what happened at practice on the ride home.
But somewhere along the way, I realized something:
I really love this part of our life.
And the older our boys get, the more I realize what a gift this season really is.
It’s About So Much More Than the Sport
Of course, I love watching our boys play.
I love seeing them make the shot they’ve been practicing. I love watching them get stronger, faster, and more confident. And yes, I love watching them compete.
But those aren't actually my favorite parts.
My favorite parts are often the ordinary ones.
Watching them walk into practice.
Watching them work with their dad.
Seeing them frustrated because something isn’t clicking yet... and then watching them keep trying.
Hearing the conversations between them and their teammates.
Watching them learn how to listen, work hard, handle disappointment, celebrate other people, and come back after a tough day.
Those are the moments I find myself paying attention to more and more.
Because as much as we want to help them become good athletes, our prayer is that God is using these experiences to help shape the young men they are becoming.
Young men who work hard.
Who have integrity.
Who know how to serve others.
Who can handle disappointment without giving up.
Who are humble when they win and gracious when they lose.
Who know that their identity is not found in a jersey, a starting position, a stat line, or what other people think of them - Their identity is in Christ.
Sports Have Become Part of Our Family
Sports are something we genuinely enjoy together.
Dad gets to coach and train them. I get to bring my perspective as their mom and a physical therapist. And the boys get to be kids who love playing, competing, learning, and trying new things.
A lot of our family conversations happen because of sports.
Sometimes we're talking about the game.
Sometimes we're talking about effort.
Sometimes we're talking about how they responded when things didn't go their way.
And sometimes we're just laughing about something that happened at practice.
Sports aren't everything in our family. We don't want them to be.
They are simply one of the things God has given our family to enjoy in this season.
And we want to be faithful with it.
That means enjoying the wins without making winning everything. Helping our boys develop their gifts without allowing those gifts to become their identity. Encouraging them to work hard while reminding them that their worth was settled long before they ever stepped onto a court.
I Know This Season Won’t Last Forever
I think that’s the part I’m becoming more aware of as they get older.
There will be a last practice.
A last game.
A last time we load everybody into the car with all their gear.
Eventually, our weeks won't revolve around who has practice where and what time we need to leave for the next game.
And I'm sure there are parts of that I'll be ready for.
But I also know I'm going to miss this.
I’ll miss watching their dad coach them.
I’ll miss seeing them walk onto the court.
I'll probably even miss some of those long days sitting in a gym.
Because when I look back, I don't think I'm going to remember every score or every win.
I'm going to remember them.
Who they were becoming.
The conversations we had.
The prayers we prayed.
The laughs.
The hard days.
The little moments I got to witness simply because I was there.
Maybe the Sidelines Are Part of My Calling Too
Sometimes motherhood can make ordinary things feel insignificant.
Another practice.
Another car ride.
Another game.
Another Saturday sitting in a gym.
But I’m learning that being present for the ordinary moments is part of the work God has given me to do.
I don't have to be the one on the court.
I don't have to control every outcome.
Sometimes my job is simply to be there.
To encourage.
To pray.
To remind them who they are.
To help them learn from the hard moments.
And to thank God that I get to witness it.
So, for Now, I’ll Keep Loving my Sideline Views
There can be a lot of pressure in youth sports; to develop faster, win more, make the team, get more playing time, or figure out what comes next.
But sometimes I think we need to look up from all of that and realize:
We’re living the part we’re going to miss.
Our kids are growing right in front of us.
These children belong to God before they belong to us, and raising them is one of the greatest things He has entrusted to us.
So I'm going to keep showing up.
I'll cheer. I'll watch. I'll take too many pictures. I'll listen on the ride home.
I'll pray that God uses sports to develop more than their bodies and their skills; that He uses these experiences to shape their character, strengthen their faith, and prepare them for whatever He has for them beyond the game.
And I'll be grateful that, for this season of our family's life, one of my favorite places is right here on the sidelines...
Build the athlete behind the sport.
Dr. MOM | Raising Whole Athletes
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