Get your child into sports

The other day, I was faced with the reality that the kids are already off from school and the next three months would be a challenge in terms of getting them to do worthwhile activities so that they won’t get bored.

When my generation was their age, the school break was usually spent doing chores in the morning, siesta after lunch, doing some chores in the afternoon then when the sun was down at around 4 p.m. came play time.

I used to slip out of the house when the kids were supposed to be sleeping and would spend a good part of the afternoon perched on my favorite guava tree that grew on a lot beside our home.

The tree is not there anymore, but during those days when there were not too many toys that you can buy, kids were very imaginative with regards to play.

I remember the time when the fad was running around our village with old motorcycle tires to push around.

There were the slingshots and the games that had us practicing our warrior skills.

As we grew older the bicycle became an integral part of life. Our first set of wheels as the old motorcycle tire would not qualify to be such hehehe…

I spent many summers going around our town on a bicycle and a scar just below my right eye is my remembrance of those years when my bicycle took me to so many places, which my family never even knew or I would have been grounded for the rest of my teenage life.

Then came the summer lessons in karate and swimming as the only others offered then were ballet and Hawaiian dancing.

Then the years breezed through when I grew older and I started working. The school break suddenly became only something theoretical as there was none to look forward to as there was work to do even when kids were off from their books.

Then I got married and had a son, which brought back the dilemma of finding something good to do when there was no school.

My son started playing football at a very young age. I got him his first pair of soccer shoes before he was two years old. I got myself a similar pair too, which kind of also brought me back to those good old football playing days in school.

Every school vacation for many years was spent on the football field and it was quite easy to predict what activities were lined up.

Now that I also have a daughter, who is growing up fast and hoping to find a sport that would suit her, I am trying to figure out what it would be so that it would be something that she would enjoy and hopefully be good at.

That is a question that is yet unanswered. I don’t want to rush things as school has just ended and the children are trying to enjoy sleeping past 4:30 a.m., which was their waking time since last June.

What is great now is that there are so many sports being offered by various schools, clubs, local government units, and organizations.

If you don’t have a country club membership, you can go to your child’s school, or even to your barangay sports center to enroll your child in a sports training program.

One of the best gifts you can give your child is the opportunity to play a sport. Try to do that this school break.

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MILESTONES: Bon voyage to my sister Naika, her husband Mike, and kids – MJ, Nyle, and Naia, who are heading back to Hawaii today after a week-long vacation.

Happy birthday greetings go to my Tao sister Razilee Guibao, Odessa Quicoy-Montebon, Virgs mary Tiu-Alcantara, and to Joy Baniel-Cabrera, who are turning a year older today.

Advance greetings go to Bunny Caminade, Emily Cabilada, Pearl Gonzales-Ungab, Siynp Silagan, and Mary ann Gumba, who are celebrating tomorrow.

More power to all of you!