Today, Sept. 10, would have been my parents’ 59th wedding anniversary. As many of you know, my dad, Jim Dickson, passed away a little more than a year ago. So this day has become more of reflection than celebration as I think of the life Dad shared with my mom, Joan.
Looking back to the time I was growing up, Mom and Dad were like so many parents then and now. Dad coached youth league baseball and basketball. Mom helped work the concession stand and was the de facto team nurse for many years.
I am the only son with three sisters, and athletic opportunities were not as readily available to girls during the 1960s and 70s as they are today. Most games the family attended were those in which I played or Gulf Breeze High School games.
My parents were season ticket holders to Dolphin games for a number of years. Their seats were next to those of their best friends, Wilber and Louise Deer.
Only as an adult have I come to realize the sacrifices not only my parents, but most parents make: to be at games and support their children or the school those children attend.
I’m sure most dads would like sit back and relax after a long day at work, but so many take the time to throw a ball or shoot baskets with their sons or daughters. Those parents understand and choose to invest in their children.
Many times, an evening meal gets cold or stays in the oven while a mom or dad is coaching a youth team. Some nights, they grab a bucket of chicken or a bag of burgers at the local fast food place. But that’s OK because they are investing in the lives not only of their children, but the lives of children who might not have a role model at home.
I know there are single moms and dads out there trying to do their best to provide for their children and still make time to volunteer for youth sports.
We honor our mothers each year on the second Sunday in May. We honor our fathers on the third Sunday in June.
I really hope we honor our parents every day, whether or not we still have them with us.
Maybe we can have some sort of Sports Parents’ Day, on which we could celebrate all that moms and dads do to coach and promote youth sports.
But I don’t know if the idea would go over too well, because at the end of the day, most parents will tell you it’s all about the kids.
EmailNews Bulletin Sports Editor Randy Dickson, randyd@crestviewbulletin.com, follow him on Twitter @BigRandle or call 682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: SIDELINE OBSERVATIONS: Parents' investments go deep