Drive to Be the Best

I have found it interesting to have my daughter involved in sports. I love to watch her play. I love seeing her skills develop and become pretty good at something. I also find my competitive nature come to the surface. I find that there is a small, or not so small, part of me that wants her to be the best....or at least near one of the best. I find it a pleasure to encourage her skills and her desire to play soccer.

I find it interesting to sit among other competitive parents. To listen to them talk about the different sports programs they place their children in. Here are these parents of 8-9 year old girls, and they almost sound obsessed. They have them in a skills class on Monday. Winter soccer practice on Wednesdays. Another skills class on Friday. Games on Saturday. And that is just for one sport. Then I hear them debating which program will develop their child's skills the best. This one parent has placed her daughter in a players development programs that is geared towards girls a year older.

As I listened to this, I find myself struggling with my own decisions for where I have my daughter learning her skills. That competitive edge in me wants to scramble around and get her in all these programs. I feel like if I don't do all these programs that my daughter won't have the competitive edge that she needs to compete when she gets older. Oh, that urge to keep up with the Jones' really takes over in me.

So....where is the balance? I don't know. I think I just have to do what my family can handle. I refuse to make my life crazy for sports. I guess that I will do a bunch of praying about the right balance of that in my life. I just want to sit back and watch my daughter play to the best of her abilities and have a fun time doing it. I would hate my own competitive urges to squash the in-born passion that she has right now.

Life can be so crazy sometimes. Always something to wrestle with!!