"I'm nervous," he said last night. "You should be, Babe. Everyone should be a little nervous before a competition. If you just expect to rock everything you shoot for you won't learn how it feels to work super hard for something."
He cut his hazel eyes down at me and nodded. "Yeah, I get that. But I'm scared."
Hold up. "Now scared is something entirely different., my boy You have absolutely no reason to be scared at all. You're more than talented enough to go in and play it up. You've got hustle, you've got drive, you've got skills. Sure there will be boys there who have more talent and may have stronger skills, but you'll turn your fair share of heads. Don't doubt that for one minute. You just have to remember there are 70 boys vying for 30 jerseys. Those are some hard odds. Please remember though, Babe, its a game. Its just a game. Have fun with it and it will all work out the right way." So much easier said than done when he doesn't make the cut.
Big Red is a strong boy. Built for athletics and pretty good in almost every sport he attempts. But we haven't done the Select Team thing with him. With either of the boys, actually. Its just not my thing, and doesn't seem to be theirs either. They're both interested in so many different things (sports, music, art, etc.) that its just not feasible to tie them down to one sport every waking moment. They're still kids. So yes, that may have played a part in him not making the team. I'll admit that.
Big Red is a sweet boy. He's thoughtful and caring and has a huge, soft heart. He can, and does, talk some loud smack at times. But feels horrible when he thinks he MAY have inadvertently hurt someone's feelings. He's not aggressive in the least. He's an outstanding defender, but not strong on the offense. So, that may have played a part in him not making the team as well. I'll admit that, too.
But I know for a fact that when he does make the team, whatever team that may be, it will not be because of whatever talent or skills he may have, but will primarily be because of his determination and hard work. And I'll take that any day. If I can just remember this when I pick him up from school today, maybe, JUST MAYBE I won't melt into a blubbering mess. Poor Big Red. Love him.