I don’t care for soccer. To me, it’s rather boring, but to people around the world, futbol is the number one sport there is. And yet, I’ve found myself appreciating the sport through two vastly different television programs.
Ted Lasso is one of the best shows out there, found on Apple TV+. Jason Sudeikis plays the titular character, an American football coach who is lured to England to coach their game of football, soccer in our parlance. There is just the right mixture of action and humanity to make even the most jaded person decide soccer might not be so bad.
The other show is a documentary Michelle and I watched last year, Welcome to Wrexham. It follows Ryan Reyolds and Rob McElhenney, two famous actors, as they purchase the Wrexham Football Club in Wales and learn what it means to own a professional sports team. Even when Ryan Reynolds wasn’t on the screen, it was still a gripping look at a sport loved by millions and what it takes to run a club.
One of the draws of the documentary is how much attention it pays to the people of Wrexham. One gentleman, in particular, had been recently separated from his wife and was finding it difficult to not have his kids around all the time. He lamented the missed opportunities but took every chance he could when he was with them to bond and develop a special rapport. Part of that was with the soccer club.
Throughout that particular episode, others in the town referenced relationships through soccer and sports in general. Some people had become friends because of a shared interest, others had even found romantic interests as a result of being a Wrexham supporter. But the bond between parent and child was highlighted the most.
Anyone who has watched their child grow and compete at different levels of a sport knows this. From hitting a ball off a tee to having a coach pitch underhand to using a pitching machine to hitting off live pitchers, parents of baseball and softball players remember all those steps and have many shared memories with their children. If you watched your child try to hoist a basketball into a ten-foot hoop or serve a volleyball over a net and eventually do it with ease and accuracy, you get it.
To me, a big part of those memories involves the drives home afterward. With both my kids, we could have conversations about what went well and what didn’t, along with dissecting the finer points of the game. Having had the privilege to coach both my children in a sport, those conversations took on a different nuance, since I was also able to glean insight from someone who had been on the field or court.
I cherish all those memories. The connection with my kids is stronger because of sports, even if they’ve taken different paths. Jayna and I can still talk about specific games and moments, and she enjoys hearing sometimes how the local teams at her alma mater are doing or “fun” stories I can share from officiating or announcing.
Anton has veered from sports to the theater more, but he still understands the ins and outs of basketball and baseball. One of his coaches told me once that Anton had a great baseball mind and understood the little things about the game that some don’t notice. Even though he doesn’t play anymore, Michelle pointed out to me that, while we were at a Twins game last year, Anton was explaining parts of the game to his girlfriend. That made me a happy pappy, knowing that he still finds those things worth remembering.
My own relationship with my dad strengthened due to sports. I remember sitting down on Sunday afternoons to watch football with him, even though I never played. He built a backboard and hoop for me when I took an interest in basketball. I even remember how excited I was when he came home with my first baseball glove, even if it was one he got at a rummage sale. (I think it’s still in his garage!)
Dad stepped in and coached my summer baseball team for a couple of years when nobody else would do it. He knew nothing about coaching, walking onto the field for our first practice wearing cowboy boots. But that stirred something in him, and he went on to coach softball for many years after I left home, spending a lot of time with my youngest sister as she developed into a great softball player.
Long after your kids put down a ball, the bonds you’ve developed through sports will stay in place. Someday, I’ll still remind Jayna that she scored both the first basket of anyone in her grade, and the last. (Of course, she was the only senior left, but still…) And I can talk to Anton about how many times he got home when the ball squirted by the catcher, including a few that won games, and how his aggressiveness on the bases had put him in that position. I am so glad that sports created new paths to express caring for my kids. Whether it was through playing or watching sports, you likely have similar connections.
I still don’t like soccer and probably never will. But I can’t wait for the next seasons of Ted Lasso and Welcome to Wrexham! Building relationships one penalty kick at a time!
Word of the Week: This week’s word is spiv, which means a petty criminal who is well-dressed, as in, “The spiv blended in with the wealthy soccer fans, who soon found their wallets gone.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!