Confession No. 1,999,991

Okay, its been awhile since Kingston's last football game and I had to get this off my chest. I've been a longtime proponent of parents cheering internally and not out loud, a matter that has kept Jen and I at odds for many years now. Jen likes screaming like a banshee when her kids are playing. I like hiding under the bleachers until the gale-force winds have subsided. I get pretty hot under the collar when an opposing player uses dirty tactics in a game but that's about the extent of my ire when it comes to the boys' sports. Okay that's not the only time but my point is, I prefer to internalize my fury until I can get home and start throwing walnuts at the chickens.

But then came King's last game. His performance was pretty flat but then again, the entire Lehi team was looking pretty lethargic. So, long story short, Kingston made a tackle early in the third quarter and didn't get up. For some reason, I waited until all of the other concerned parents around me were absolutely quiet before I yelled out, "Get up!"

OOPS!

A classic case of not enough input, very poor output. I'm pretty sure that my thought at that particular moment was, "Is it just me, or am I really an idiot?" Anyway, I took a few gulps of cold night air to clear my head before I finally walked down to the sideline where he was being attended to by the people who aren't idiots to ask how he was doing. Aside from a severely bruised elbow, he appeared to be okay but I lost a lot of points that night in the "Father Know's Best" category.

It's funny how something so insignificant can make such an incredible difference in a boy's life. I'm fortunate that my son's have been blessed with a special ability to overlook my failings as a human being but its these little life lessons that give me greater perspective in my calling as a father. I swung for the fences that night and struck out with the bases loaded but I can tell you this, next time life throws me a curve I'll be sure to check it before I swing. My 'team' is counting on me.