I am not a naturally sporty person. I just don’t have the natural “flair” for sports… I suck at it… I tried, many sports, and I sucked at them. And as a result sports is not my favorite past time.

For a while I was afraid that the faulty sports gene had been transferred onto my son… The first sport he took up at about 5 years of age was Judo. He did that for a few years but his heart was not really into it. By the time he was 8 they started entering the kids into competitions and then he signed off. I think the reason that he stuck it out as long as he did was that his teacher was a really great inspiring guy. It did help him to channel his energy and such, so it’s good that he did do that for a few years.

Then he took up soccer. Now soccer is really big in Dutchyland as it is in many European countries. It also has a certain very competive atmosphere but not in a good way… If you are a good player, you will fit in… If you are not that great, you get ignored, and in worst case scenario shouted at and talked about by even the parents of your fellow teammates. The Kid was a mediocrate player and well… to say his time playing soccer wasn’t the best of times, is putting it mildly. He told me he no longer wanted to play. I told him to finish the season, which was only a few more weeks and then he could stop and we’d look for something else. It rendered me into a huge argument with The Ex as he felt that he should just persevere. I told The Ex that I was nót putting in hundreds of euro’s and tons of effort and dragging my son to practise 3 times and a match once a week, and have my kid shouted at by other parents, if he hated it.

He stopped playing sports for a year and we took the time to find him something he really wanted to do. I took him to take a look at several sportsclubs, and had him join in here and there… and just shortly before the schoolyear was done, in July, he informed me that he had decided that he wanted to play

BASKETBALL

I couldn’t be happier. I think, though it is not that big over here, basketball is a great sport. To play and for spectators. I like the “speed” that’s in the game. I like the atmosphere and I just like the sport in general. The Ex, being 1m97 tall (6ft5), was a pretty good basketball player in his younger days and he used to coach kids at the time as well. The Kid, at almost 11, is already nearly 1m55 (5ft1), and I can see that that would not necessarily make, but surely help, him being a pretty good player.

Basketball practise is on Mondays, when he’s with The Ex, and I work at the time he’s at practise as it is during office hours. Last week I took some time out of the office to go watch one of his practise sessions and well… um… I was impressed! Even though he’s not been at it for very long he’s doing pretty well. And I can see from his facial expression and the effort that he makes that he’s loving it! And the atmosphere is SO much nicer than in the soccer teams… The coach, who is doing a great job with these boys, told me that The Kid needed a little more practise and then he could join the team in actual games.

So you can imagine that I was totally chuffed when The Ex texted me yesterdayafternoon that The Kid had unexpectedly been asked to play with the team that afternoon and had actually scored the first point of the game and they actually won!!!

Heheh… There’s a big fat proud motherheart beating under my boobies right now!!! My boy scored his first point in basketball… in his first match… which they won!

It made my pretty sucky weekend! Now if only The Guy would be here, it would be purrrfect…