It's not easy to be a sporting dad, but it's fun

Many fathers encourage their kids to pick up the sport that they also once played or have so much passion for even as a non-athlete.

I see many dads who wear their old uniforms while hanging out on the sidelines of the football field, the basketball court, or tennis courts. I see many fathers who also lug their golf clubs while watching their kids hit longer drives and more accurate iron shots on the driving range.

I also met fathers who would gladly carry all the gear from their car to the playing venue. The gear often includes a big cooler loaded with drinks (non-alcoholic), a huge umbrella, folding chairs, sometimes even folding tables, and bags loaded with gear and extra clothes.

Who said it was easy to be a father when you see the coach refuse to give your child the playing time or see the kid put in a playing position that he is not comfortable with.

It is not easy to see a bad call made or when the opponent scores against your child or his team.

Sometimes you shout invectives at the game officials and opponents and realize later that you got carried away and became a bad example to your child (I sure hope this is the case for most).

Being the father of an athlete also means having to spend part of your paycheck to buy equipment, shoes, outfits, hire private coaches, pay for trips, and many more that sometimes will have you scratching what is not itchy. But then for the love of our children we find ways (sounds like a bank’s slogan).

It also means being the videographer or photographer like Opep Gandionco, who follows his son Gio around the golf course to take pictures.

It also means having to wake up earlier than usual to make sure the kids won’t miss a game or practice and often we even have to go on leaves or skip work just to be there.

There are also those who pick up the sport just to be with their son like my Texas-based friend Nick Torrefranca, who had to learn taekwondo as he regularly accompanied his son Vince to his lessons and decided to learn the martial himself too.

Since I lost my father at a very young age, I was seven years old when he died, it was my paternal grandfather, Cipriano Rosal Quiñones, Sr., who encouraged me to take up sports and wake me up at dawn so I could go on my road runs.

Now, I make it a point to spend quality sporting time with my kids as their driver, photographer, first aider, financier, umbrella carrier and best of all as their dad.

Happy father’s day to my fellow hard working dads/papas/tatays!

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MILESTONES: My maternal grandfather Silverio Espina Lebumfacil is celebrating his 83rd birthday today.

Lolo Siling will surely have a good time as all of his children are now in Toledo City for the celebration that the family hopes to keep very simple.

I wish I could make it there, but I have prior commitments, but nevertheless Lolo Siling is always in my heart and although I haven’t spent as much time as I hoped I would be able to do with him, he is very dear to me and my family.

Happy birthday greetings also go to Captain Dennis Gaona of Philippine Airlines, who turns a year older today, and to our former Physics teacher, Martin U. Castillo, who is celebrating tomorrow. Belated greetings go to my classmate Mark Y. Mancao, who celebrated last Thursday.

More power to all of you! - THE FREEMAN