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Love in Sports, and Sportsmanship in Love

- Article written and submitted by Lance Ma, August 26, 2016.

 

One of my favorite hobbies is watching sports, because it always gives me a sense of excitement when I see gifted athlete attempts jaw-dropping feats.  It always gives me a rush and euphoria like nothing else because sports competition inspired the limit of human physical prowess.  My association of sports to achievement started when I was a young kid.  My father was a volleyball player in the military, and my mom always told me stories about the accomplishments of my father’s team.  I vaguely remember visiting my father’s team event and how his teammates treated me like one of their own children.  That was my first major impression of my father.  He is strong and fit, an athlete that can take on anything, and I felt proud to have him as my father.

 

After my father left the military, he went and worked in the restaurant industry.  Due to his unstable job prospect during my childhood, we were always on the move.  I moved around and changed school every year, and it made making friends almost impossible for me.  My father worked long and late hours to provide for the family, often came home after I already went to bed.  I grew up spending very little time with him, so naturally I was closer to my mother as I rarely talked to my father.  When I grew into my teen years, it became apparent that I didn’t really know how to behave around my father because we missed the years of bonding time as father and son.  While it was regrettable that I couldn’t have the type of father and son relationship with my dad compared to my friends, there was one thing that I could always connect with my dad and that was watching sports.  We always watched sports together, and even to this very day we still always chat about our favorite sports teams and players’ progress. 

 

Our relationship is quite awkward.  There were times I honestly didn’t know how to talk to him as my father.  Sports bridged our distance and broke the ice in between us.  The little time that we were able to spend together when I was growing up always revolved around sports.  I remember he taught me how to shoot a basketball and how to play Ping Pong.  Every time he challenged me in a game he would see me as an opponent on equal grounds. 

 

Not until I recently when I looked back to those times, I realize this is my father’s own way to bond with me and to teach me life lessons through sports.  I learned about sportsmanship and how to treat others through fair basketball and soccer games.  I learned what it means to give 100% of my effort regardless of the outcome of the game. 

 

My dad doesn’t express or show emotions in front me, and it was tough for me to understand how he feels since I was a kid, and even some time now as an adult.  On the night when my mother passed away, that was the only time I saw him broke down and collapsed emotionally.  I then realized how hard it has been for him to have always held his composure in the ups and downs in the past.  As I got older, I become more appreciative of him.  I confirmed that no matter how the parents might appear in front of a child, there is no doubt for their unconditional love for their children. 

 

As I get to know my father better now after my mother’s passing away, whenever we talk about sports I have this fond feeling about my childhood.  I could see him better through an unbiased view because I know he loves me no matter what.  I am able to talk about the things we did together even during the period back then when I felt neglected by him.  I felt that by opening up my heart to get to know him, I freed myself at the same time through our reconciliation.  I learned that love does not always show in a way we wanted it to show, but as long as we have hope, remain faithful and be patient, we can see love’s power to bring people with different perspectives together.