Going for it

It has been an interesting fall for the Lewis family.  The usual pattern has been that after a summer of sport, leisure, travel and relaxation we jump right back into school, coaching, meetings, practices and generally being over scheduled and generally being a slave to the appointment calendar.  A big part of the hectic fall schedule is coaching Graeme and Connor and running from one practice or game to another.

This fall has been  much quieter as Graeme has left home to play soccer.  He has gone to Kelowna to play for Thompson Okanagan FC of the BC Soccer Premier League.  It has been a difficult adjustment for Marla, Connor and myself but a great move for Graeme.  He is doing excellent in school, excelling on the soccer field and living with a great family who treat him as one of their own.  While it has been tough on the rest of the family it has been made easier by the fact that it has been such a good move for Graeme.

It is an interesting situation for me as I also work in the Canadian Sport School with elite high school aged athletes and I have several students who have moved and whose families have made major sacrifices for them to chase their dreams.  As with Graeme's dream of playing professional soccer it is likely that most of these kids will not achieve their ultimate goals.  However, does that mean the decisions, sacrifices and commitment to a dream has been a mistake?  I don't think so.  I think sometimes, especially when you are young you need to "go for it" and chase that dream.  Yes the reality is most people will fail to achieve their ultimate prize but some will and those who don't will have skills and experiences that few people share.  I have always been a bit of a safety and security kind of guy.  Have a back-up plan, keep your options open, plan for the future, prepare for a rainy day has always been the thinking that has served me well. However, when I look back at my life the times I have followed my heart and taken thee road less traveled it has been a good experience, even when it hasn't been a positive one. 

The fact of the matter is our son is in grade 9 and he is focused on fitness, academics and sports.  He has a great group of like-minded friends whose idea of a good time on a Friday night is going to the park for a kick around.  He has learned that if he applies himself to a task and stays committed to a goal good things happen and that to a great extent he can be the master of his own destiny.  Yes, we miss him and I wish we had more of the "hang around" time together but at the end of the day if you want your kids to grow sometimes you have to just let them go for it!  Would I like it if my son achieved his goals and lived his dream, of course. More importantly, however, I don't want him to live a life wondering "what if?".