Happy Dad Month! Since we had a shout out to all the Sports Moms out their carrying the load on Mother’s Day I felt like it was only fitting to take a little time to praise the carrier of gym bags, the hurler of praise and insults alike, the little league coaching, high five giving, man of the house…the Sports Dad.
Like most little girls, and especially girls who were active in the sports world, I definitely have a soft spot for dads. More specifically my dad. It’s hard for me to remember an age where I didn’t play sports, but if I wasn’t playing then my dad was. He played fairly competitive softball “back in the day” and I loved being out at the ballpark with him. Needless to say, as soon as I was big enough to hold a bat he was able to share his love of Softball with me. But that was just the beginning of our sports journey.
I played softball for years before Basketball came into my life. It really was one of those things where in 5th grade a classmate’s dad told my dad “hey, your daughter is tall, she should play basketball”, and so I did. My dad knew zero things about Basketball when I started, but that didn’t stop him. He got a book about basketball, you couldn’t just google “how to play basketball” in the early 90’s, and we started watching every college and professional basketball game that came on television to learn the sport. It was fantastic. Not only was I learning about a sport I was quickly growing to love, but I was spending all this time with my dad. He also taught me how to change a tire, hammer a nail, drive a stick, curse like a sailor, and perfectly spit a sunflower seed. But, I digress.
My athletic career ramped up quickly and it wasn’t long before my family was traveling basically every weekend to play either travel softball (slowpitch – the true art) or AAU basketball. And I don’t mean down the road…these were major trips across the country. A fateful trip to Lubbock, Texas to play softball is one of my favorite, awful, and scarring stories to tell – and is the reason why I will never willingly load myself up on one of those paid travel bus things, where you don’t have your own way out, ever again.
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What’s important about all of this is that I don’t ever remember a time when I looked up into the stands and my dad wasn’t there. We are talking about an athletic career that spanned over 30 years and I can always remember his face in the stands. That’s what being a Sports Dad is all about.
Parenting is a tough job…and being a Dad comes with its own set of stressors that are way different from being a mom. But, from the little girl on the court or in the field, let me just say thanks to all the Dads who show up and get it done. It doesn’t matter if you coach the team, have never done an athletic thing in your entire life and are a fish out of water, or even show up late, as long as you keep showing up. We may not say it, but we see you, and we are so proud that you are there. And let us not forget those “Bonus Dads” and other “Father Figures”, we see you too and you are absolutely included in our celebration of all things Man.
A friend told me just this week that being a dad is the greatest and most rewarding job he has ever had and that no other responsibility in his life has ever been more important to him. And I absolutely love that. P.S. He’s a girl dad so it spoke extra to my heart when he said it.
So, a special thanks goes out this week and during the month of Dads to all of you men out there getting it done for your families and your kiddos. But, especially to my Dad, David Middleton. Thank you for being the face in the stands. I have never had to worry because I know you have always been in my corner and I love you.
I also have the privilege of being married to an amazing dad, my husband Speedy. It was so much fun watching him be a dad to our “big kids” and it is even more fun watching him be Pops to our little guy. My father-in-law, Richard Wilkerson, passed away a little over 3 years ago but I would be remiss not to include him in the list of men to highlight during this season. He was an incredible man and raised a great husband for me. I’m so appreciative of the time we got to spend together. And for the Patriarch of my family, who we lost before my senior year in college, A.D. Middleton, who taught me how to work in the garden and made sure I had all the hugs and kisses he could pour into his granddaughter; for all the time we spent together I will forever be grateful and I still miss him everyday.
So, here’s to all the Dads out there making us proud everyday. Even if we don’t tell you everyday, we see you, we love you, and we couldn’t do it without you! Thank you for holding it down!
Until next week…that’s how the ball bounces.
Read more from How the Ball Bounces with Bekka in the archives at www.mysaline.com/bounces.
About the author: Bekka Wilkerson is a lifelong lover of all things sports. Raised in a super athletic household it was no surprise when she too began to love sports at a young age. It seems like from the time she could walk she had a softball bat in her hands, but her true athletic passion came from all things Basketball. That love served her well as a Bryant High School Lady Hornet and ultimately earned her a full scholarship to play at the University of Central Arkansas – among many other adventures.
These days Bekka can be found running around Saline County with her husband, Speedy, or chasing one of her grandsons. She is also the Executive Director of The EMpact One Foundation, a Saline County Nonprofit Organization that helps young people stay connected to extracurricular activities through tuition assistance and equipment provisions.
Reach out to Bekka with questions and/or ideas about things you want to see in this column at [email protected] and learn more about The EMpact One Foundation at www.empactone.org.