Sporting Dads III

This is a big weekend for us fathers, so you can ask you wives for a day off from doing the laundry and ironing the clothes hehehe…

The past two columns have been dedicated to fathers and I intend to close the series this weekend with this piece, which I’d like to again dedicate to my fellow sporting dads.

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Before I learned of the problem with my spine, I had a chance to play some football with my son and had been with him at the judo dojo for training sessions and also at a judo exhibition at a mall in Cebu.

I felt that I already had achieved much in terms of my goal to get a chance to play sports with my son.

Things took a difficult turn when my doctor advised me to stay away from contact sports and even told me to change my golf swing.  It’s tough altering what already looks weird.

Last school break (summer to most of us), I had a major surprise when, out of the blue maybe, my son asked if he can play golf.  While I had to run some figures in my head after the initial excitement (I can’t break all my piggy banks for this new endeavor hehehe), I figured out that he was indeed serious that he wanted to play.

So he got lessons and after the lessons and several hundreds of balls at the driving range, it was time to play with him at the golf course – another dream come true.

Now I can relate to the excitement that my cousin Rolando Q. Acas shares with me about how he finds time to play with his son Ace, who is also very serious about golf.

There is still a long way to go and maybe someday I too would experience what golfing dads like Tito Bombi Aznar, George Hong, Atty. Danny Deen, Nestor Mendoza, Hector Wong, Emelio Tan, Deo Gabasa, and Opep Gandiongco when their kids win tournaments.

I can only hope for the best, but then right now, I already am very happy to have been given this opportunity as a father.

You should try to find time to experience such in the sport of choice of your children or maybe yours if the kids would also love to do it.

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There are many fathers I know who share their passion for a particular sport with their children.

Among them is Manuel ‘Bunny’ Pages, who is as much a tennis buff as his son, John.

There is also Dr. Miguel ‘Mike’ Mancao, who doesn’t only play golf with his cardiologist son Peter, but also shares the love for running with him.

Many of my teammates at the Queen City United Football Club/Cebu Amateur Football Club also have kids who play the game.  Among them are our president Richard Montayre, Ricky Dakay, Greg Balsicas, Raffy Musni, Dondon Ramos, and Vince Nery.  In fact some of us played football again to have more chances to bond with our kids and also inspire them to play.

Aside from providing for our family’s needs, we fathers also help set the tone for our children’s love for sports.

I have a very long way to go as a sporting father, but I love every moment that I get a chance to be one including the times I have to chase after wayward balls that my daughter would hit.  It’s all about being a dad.

Happy father’s day!

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MILESTONE: Belated birthday greetings to my compadre Atty. Rico Rey Francis ‘Koko’ Holganza, who turned a year older yesterday.

More Power!