Spending a morning with my son and one of his heroes was a life-changing experience.
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As a parent, I am always trying to help my kids to do their best. We all are, right? Whether it involves their academic performance, getting good grades, treating others with respect or being a good friend, the list of parental responsibilities can seem endless. As a mother of a teenage son, sometimes finding ways to connect can be challenging. Our interests are different; I love the theater, he loves basketball. I like visiting with friends and cooking out, and you guessed it, he loves basketball. My son has been a passionate NBA fan since he was big enough to pick up a remote control. If it has to do with league statistics, player contracts or team schedules, he is an expert.
I discovered that basketball has become more than just a way of connecting with my son.
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This weekend I signed him up to attend a camp sponsored by the Golden State Warriors’ team forward Harrison Barnes, a phenomenal player but equally good role model. As I sat in a gymnasium in Oakland, California with 200 school age boys, I looked around and saw many parents. Some who dropped off their sons, some who watched the boys play and run drills, and others who sat staring at their phones, waiting for the event to be over. Prior to my son’s intense interest in basketball, I had never been a fan. But to my surprise, I discovered that basketball has become more than just a way of connecting with my son. There is a lot that I have been able to learn about life from the game as well. Here are some of the lessons we both learned that day.
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1. Passion. It takes hard work and dedication to become a professional athlete, but without passion it is unlikely to happen. Athletes live and breathe their sport. Practice time on and off the court is endless. Harrison told the kids it took hard work for him NOT to dunk the ball, or jump into their games and drills. He loves the game that much. Imagine how much you might achieve if you were that passionate about whatever it was you were doing.
2. Talent. Whether you dream about becoming an athlete or an accountant, you have to have some degree of talent. If you want to find success in finance, you’ll need an aptitude for numbers, a research scientist- an eye for detail and errors. Whatever you choose to dream about you’ll need some talent to propel you forward. Can you get ahead without it? With hard work, yes, most often anything you sincerely set your mind to is achievable. Except being able to dunk in the NBA (in which case your genetics and height play a major role).This applies to all areas of life.
3. Commitment. By watching Harrison Barnes, my son learned that being a team member involves being dedicated to practice and training sessions. If you’re going to play professional basketball, you must be committed to your team and your sport. You may choose to dream about a future profession, creating an online business or any wildly exciting goal you can imagine, but without a strong commitment it is unlikely to come true. Dreams involve dedication to moving forward and taking consistent steps toward achieving your goal. Not every day will feel like a success. Some days you may feel like giving up. Knowing that you have a commitment to success. However you define it, will keep you moving in the right direction without an option for quitting when times are tough.
4. Motivation. Becoming a top draft choice and a superstar in the NBA requires motivation on a daily basis. Motivation to get up, to practice hard and to travel more miles than I can even imagine. It isn’t any different than motivating yourself to becoming your personal best. Whether that means getting to the gym so you can be the healthiest version of yourself, eating right to achieve optimal fitness, or working hard to get ahead in your business. There will always be distractions and outside influences to take your attention off of your dream. Staying motivated is a personal choice. A choice to stay true to the course of your dream of success, whatever that may be.
5. Inconvenience. Staying true to your goals and dreams is not always convenient. Life is happening around us all the time; friends and family may need our attention, work or school will place expectations on us and the multifaceted nature of our lives will pull us in many directions that we can not even anticipate. Remaining focused on your dream may be inconvenient when there are other things that call our names or grab out attention. Staying focused on the rewards and imagining the fulfillment of our goals can help make the path a little easier.
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We both benefitted because he had something to teach me as well.
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Spending a morning with my son and one of his heroes was a great experience. I got to see him in his element and share in his passion for a sport I am learning more about. I joined with the other parents as we cheered on our boys. Most of all I got to witness the impact of a 24-year-old role model, who talked to the kids about working hard, finding mentors, and having fun. The message wasn’t just for the boys. We both benefitted because he had something to teach me as well. I thought about how badly we all need someone like that in our lives. A role model, a mentor, and someone who is just a few steps ahead of us sharing their wisdom and support and making us believe that anything is possible.
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Photo: Flickr/ inboundpass