Killer Instinct

Our son Parker just wrapped up his first season of Upward (www.upward.org) flag football. Our church offered flag football for the first time this fall and Mike Newman, our church's Director of Recreation Ministries (and the league director), has done a great job getting a new program off the ground.

Parker has had a great time playing this season and we've had a positive experience as a family. On Saturday, in the last game of the season, Parker had his best game of the season. On offense, he had a 40 yard run on a sweep around right end and on defense he tallied three "tackles".

Just as he's been coached to do, after each "tackle", Parker would hold the flag high in the air so the officials would know to blow their whistles and stop the play (and of course we would cheer). But what makes me most proud as a Dad is that after the play was stopped, he would walk the flag over to the player he had just "tackled" (often a friend of his) and help his friend, the opponent, reattach their flag.

Here's The Point: Parker may not have that "killer instinct" that is so often glorified in sports. He may never play big-time football. But his ability to play hard and yet recognize that there are things more important than the game will bode him well in life. To be able to keep competition in its proper perspective at the age of 5 puts him well ahead of lots of grown men that I know.