alexrgct
RIP, Alex
- Joined
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I came across this post I published on Facebook in September 2010, when my daughter was two and half years old, and had a hearty laugh because I forgotten I'd even written it. I thought I'd post it here because I thought people might enjoy it, and also in honor of Sarals24, who recently delivered a baby girl of her own. Congrats, Sara- hope you have an experience analogous to this one in two or three years:
Lillian's first live sporting event: Team USA vs. Australia in Hartford
Tonight, I got to do something I’ve looked forward to since the day Lillian was born: take her to a live sporting event. The event was an exhibition match between Team USA and Australia’s women’s teams, a final preparation for the international basketball tournament starting later this month.
For much of my life, I was, like many male sports fans, largely dismissive of women’s basketball. Three things changed my attitude. One was the realization that, as someone who prefers college football to the NFL, I was being a hypocrite by being critical of the quality of play of the women’s game. Secondly, I moved to Connecticut, where women’s basketball is something of a big deal. Finally, I had a daughter. When I look at UConn’s Maya Moore, the best player in the college game, with a bright professional career ahead of her, a great attitude, and the possibility of a Rhodes Scholarship as reward for her academic accomplishments, I see a young woman I’d be proud to have Lillian emulate. Women’s basketball gives Maya a stage upon which she can perform and be a role model to young girls. That’s a good thing.
My change of heart regarding women’s basketball and the ability to attain courtside seats prompted me to take the risk and bring Lillian to a game, even if I was fairly certain she was too young. We were close enough to hear the player chatter and Geno Auriemma yelling instructions, to see the impact of hard screens, flying elbows and hard fouls. Of course, Lillian paid attention to very little of it. Her premium seat went unoccupied for literally the entire game as she ran around a small space between our seats and the court (which was thankfully blocked by a press table). She drank lemonade and ate popcorn, ran up the first couple of stairs and then ran back down, asked for mommy, asked for her brother, and generally charmed the pants off of everyone who saw her…which I learned as we were leaving was far more people than I’d realized. Apparently, she’d been on the Jumbotron on a number of occasions, but when you’re keeping your head on a swivel between looking at the court and making sure your daughter doesn’t stray too far, you don’t look straight up at the big screen hanging basically directly above you.
I was also impressed with the current UConn players and assistant coaches, who were in attendance in support of Geno, Maya, the UConn alumnae participating in the game, and women’s basketball in general. Starting in the second half, gaggle after gaggle of tween girls approached them and asked for autographs and pictures. All requests were granted without hesitation. Most popular were current assistant coach and former NCAA champion Shea Ralph and recently-shelved-for-the-season guard Caroline Doty, a tough player whose average stature and girl-next-door, accessible good looks make her someone the tween set seems to identify with. For someone who recently had her entire season cancelled due to a torn ACL, Caroline was extraordinarily gracious with the stream of young girls who approached her.
As we left (having made it through the entire game), Lillian soaked in her full complement of admiration and cooing from everyone who saw her. It’s rare that she doesn’t have to share the spotlight with her brother, much less in front of five thousand or so people. Upon being put in her car seat, she promptly piped up and stated, “I want more basketball!” I guess the sport has another fan.
Lillian's first live sporting event: Team USA vs. Australia in Hartford
Tonight, I got to do something I’ve looked forward to since the day Lillian was born: take her to a live sporting event. The event was an exhibition match between Team USA and Australia’s women’s teams, a final preparation for the international basketball tournament starting later this month.
For much of my life, I was, like many male sports fans, largely dismissive of women’s basketball. Three things changed my attitude. One was the realization that, as someone who prefers college football to the NFL, I was being a hypocrite by being critical of the quality of play of the women’s game. Secondly, I moved to Connecticut, where women’s basketball is something of a big deal. Finally, I had a daughter. When I look at UConn’s Maya Moore, the best player in the college game, with a bright professional career ahead of her, a great attitude, and the possibility of a Rhodes Scholarship as reward for her academic accomplishments, I see a young woman I’d be proud to have Lillian emulate. Women’s basketball gives Maya a stage upon which she can perform and be a role model to young girls. That’s a good thing.
My change of heart regarding women’s basketball and the ability to attain courtside seats prompted me to take the risk and bring Lillian to a game, even if I was fairly certain she was too young. We were close enough to hear the player chatter and Geno Auriemma yelling instructions, to see the impact of hard screens, flying elbows and hard fouls. Of course, Lillian paid attention to very little of it. Her premium seat went unoccupied for literally the entire game as she ran around a small space between our seats and the court (which was thankfully blocked by a press table). She drank lemonade and ate popcorn, ran up the first couple of stairs and then ran back down, asked for mommy, asked for her brother, and generally charmed the pants off of everyone who saw her…which I learned as we were leaving was far more people than I’d realized. Apparently, she’d been on the Jumbotron on a number of occasions, but when you’re keeping your head on a swivel between looking at the court and making sure your daughter doesn’t stray too far, you don’t look straight up at the big screen hanging basically directly above you.
I was also impressed with the current UConn players and assistant coaches, who were in attendance in support of Geno, Maya, the UConn alumnae participating in the game, and women’s basketball in general. Starting in the second half, gaggle after gaggle of tween girls approached them and asked for autographs and pictures. All requests were granted without hesitation. Most popular were current assistant coach and former NCAA champion Shea Ralph and recently-shelved-for-the-season guard Caroline Doty, a tough player whose average stature and girl-next-door, accessible good looks make her someone the tween set seems to identify with. For someone who recently had her entire season cancelled due to a torn ACL, Caroline was extraordinarily gracious with the stream of young girls who approached her.
As we left (having made it through the entire game), Lillian soaked in her full complement of admiration and cooing from everyone who saw her. It’s rare that she doesn’t have to share the spotlight with her brother, much less in front of five thousand or so people. Upon being put in her car seat, she promptly piped up and stated, “I want more basketball!” I guess the sport has another fan.
But there's always the possibility of the Final Four in Dallas in 2017! (Is two years old too young?)