Spring Break!

The Sports Family Portrait by DJ the Sports Mom

The Spring Break Family Portrait

I was so excited to have all of our sons home at the same time for spring break.  For weeks, I thought about all the things my husband and I would cook and things we could do.  This is our youngest son’s senior year in high school and I had been looking into booking a short trip for part of the week to celebrate his last spring break while in high school.

They say “When we make plans, God laughs at them!” I am sure God got a good laugh at my attempt to schedule my three sons for a group picture and to take a short trip this week. After all, I am a sports mom which means that training and team activities tend to take over the schedules.

My oldest son is in the NFL and has been training in Florida during the off season.  I was so happy when I heard he was coming home to spend some time with his brothers for the spring break.  Our middle son plays football for Kansas University and he told us he was bringing home two teammates for the break.  I started planning a day trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio and thinking about other places we could go.

Things didn’t work out like I imagined.  My oldest son got in on Friday midday but the middle son didn’t make it in from Kansas until before day on Saturday.  Needless to say, he and his teammates were so tired that they were not up to the breakfast that I had planned. When I talked to my youngest son about a quick getaway for the break he informed me that he had track practice all week and could not miss even one.

I reminded my oldest son that I wanted to get a group picture on Sunday evening and he announced that he had to leave for the airport at noon on Sunday so he could meet with his trainer.  Their group picture was taken not at a studio but instead on the sidewalk in front of the house before he dashed to the airport.

All of this got me to thinking about how sports had impacted my concept of spring break.  Our oldest son began year round conditioning for football by 9^th grade and was not available to go on spring break until his senior year when I insisted that he take some time off.  Our two younger sons were on the track team so it was critical for them to work out even during spring break.

What happened to the days when you only conditioned for a sport as a team a month or so before the season began?  Today, being an athlete is a year round endeavor and that impacts the entire family schedule.  I have learned to adjust but I missed the days when it wasn’t so difficult to make plans.  This is the life of a sports mom.