The final whistle

I still remember my last high school basketball game. It was a playoff game. Not the semi-final, or final, or anything glorious, just the 1st round, on the road, in a small town in Wisconsin. The game itself wasn't all that close or dramatic. I got in during the 3rd quarter to score 3 quick points and that was about it. The moment I'll never forget was sitting in the locker room after the game with the other 2 seniors on the team. After 8 years of playing basketball together, we were done, our sports careers were over.

High school sports are special. I was reminded again of that this weekend watching the Minnesota State Hockey tournament IN person and on TV. The energy of the fans all supporting the same cause, the emotion of the players using every ounce of skill they have to win, and the coaches doing everything in their power to help their team succeed. It is electric to see all these factors converge upon a team.

 A whole town cheers a goal with 3 seconds left in the game...their team is going to the state championship!

But like almost everything else, high school sports have a final buzzer and not everyone gets a story book ending.

The challenge for many athletes AND their parents is then "What's next?!" Now that this season of life is over, what else is out there?

Nick Forner's Last Wrestling Match

A hole is left in people who have been following their child play for X amount of years and now that is gone!

Here is the cool thing at this time- the things parents are going through, and the things the players are going through is VERY similar. They are both mourning the loss of something. For players, it's the time on the field in competition with close friends. For parents, it's watching those they LOVE most, their kids, compete.

So instead of looking at this end with sadness or gloom, look for it as an opportunity!

A great Biblical perspective I see here when looking at something differently is Mary and Joseph. Here is an engaged couple going through the same thing. They are excited about the future, they are making plans to have a family. Instead- Mary gets pregnant. Joseph had nothing to do with the pregnancy. Mary is going to give birth to Jesus, God in the flesh, but Joseph has it in his mind to divorce her quietly. But instead an angel appears to Joseph. The angel puts it in perspective for Joseph. The angel shows where the blessing is. The blessing is Jesus.  

See the blessing in the parent/child relationship in sports isn't SPORTS. It's the relationship. It's the car rides to games as a youth. It's the signs parents make to support their kids. It's the hours put in working concession stands. It's the partnership of a common goal. Now that the season might be over, the goal of sports is gone. But you know what is still there? That incredible parent/child relationship.

So while the final buzzer will sound on all of us in our high school sports days, those blessed relationships can continue on.