Experiencing UM Sports With Your Kids
I remember, as a child, going to Big Boy with my mother for lunch. I'm not sure why my father and brother never went along, but it was just the two of us. She always ordered the Farmer's Omelet. I was a Brawny Lad kind of guy.
This crossed my mind as I'm sitting in the ATL Delta SkyClub, looking across the table at my 11 year old son. The attention isn't being returned, as he's currently engaged with the iPad.
So, my thoughts are wandering...and I'm reflecting on last night and on the other 15 or so UMBB games he and I attended together this year in Ann Arbor and Auburn Hills.
And, even though he doesn't realize it right now, I know how he'll always look back on this basketball season as one of the highlights of his childhood. If going to Big Boy with my mother made such a lasting impression on me, certainly this will do the same for my son.
I came of age as a Michigan sports fan during the era of Rick Leach, Rob Lytle, Phil Hubbard, Rickey Green, etc. Some of my recollections of this period are more vivid than my recollections of what I did yesterday. My son is fortunate that he's experiencing the same with Denard, Trey, Novak, etc. When he plays basketball, he takes pride in making moves "just like Trey Burke."
My attention to all sports started to wane when I became busy with work and family in the late '90's. Between my son's excitement for Michigan sports and my discovery of this community of Michigan sports blogs, my obsession is now greater than it has ever been.
Whether we've been sitting in the Big House, traveling to Indy for last year's Big Ten Tournament, or stopping off in Atlanta for last night's game on the way back to Detroit from Miami, sharing U of M sports with my son has created some of the most meaningful moments of my life.
I know there have been a lot of threads created in the past 48 hours, but I thought this would be at least a somewhat different perspective. Being a Michigan grad and fan really is special.
As much as I enjoy the information/facts/data/analysis on this blog, it's even more interesting (to me at least) to hear everyone's personal stories...whether they're related to sports or not.
So, I thought I'd share mine. I hope other MGoFathers on here are able to share their love of all things U of M with their kids.
By the way, look who we bumped in to at the airport. It was a pleasure to be able to thank him for everything he's done for the basketball program...and a fitting ending to our 24 hours in Atlanta.
My son is six. This year I took him to two hockey games, and a couple football games.
I plan on taking him a lot more. Taking him to the Spring game this weekend.
I cannot wait to be able to take him on road trips to away games.
Thanks for the post.
is who I look at after a game like last night to remind me that everything is alright. He has certain developmental "irregularities" if you will that will make him much more likely to play the piano or chess than play sports, but in his own way it is refreshing to see somebody so wholeheartedly oblivious to the concept of sports that I am constantly reminded it is just a game. My guess is that he will never give a damn about Michigan sports or sports at all and be perfectly fine with it, and in a strange way knowing that kind of makes it a little easier to get up in the morning after a game like that.
I'm a selfish bastard who never had kids.
I consider myself very lucky to have gotten through undergrad without one.
I love Michigan because my Dad loved Michigan and took me to the Big House as often as he could. I grew up watching Desmond and Charles, Chris, Jalen, Juwan, Jimmy and Ray.
I rememeber Biakabatuka because I loved saying his name. I rememeber A-Train because he looked so stoich, like a soldier in the program.
I remember sitting on my dads shoulders walking through the gates on Stadium and Main and thinking "That doesn't look so BIG." Then walking through the tunnel holding my dads hand only to find the field was sunk what may as well had been a million heads below me.
I loved the planes, I loved the band, I loved "The Victors."
And I still do.
We were in Atlanta for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games and had the pleasure of staying in a pub past curfew for minors so we could finish watching the game, connecting with complete strangers just because we had the same shirt on, and watching one of the most amazing comebacks in recent history.
I was in Berlin for the Final Four game but she watched it on her own and we texted throughout. Keep in mind she had virtually no interest in sports until about 2 years ago.
Last night she got to see her old man singing the fight song, jumping up and down (in delight and anger) and even slipping a few choice cuss words that she had never heard escape my lips.
All of this will be a lasting memory for me and I hope for her as well.
My kids will turn seven and six this summer, but they have already been to a few football games over the past two seasons (well, they last a good 3.5 quarters, which is not bad) and two basketball games this season.
The funny thing about this is that they've already stated their preferences - my daughter wants to be the go-to kid for Crisler and my son prefers what he calls "the really big stadium". Michigan sports was (and still is) something with which my parents and I could connect, as they hauled me to games going back to the mid 1980s, and like the OP, some of my most cherished childhood memories have these games as backdrops.
One of the coolest moments for me as an MGoParent came before the Florida game, which coincided with Easter dinner. My daughter looked at the clock in the middle of the meal and, apparently remembering my mention of the start time, said, "Daddy, you're missing the start of the basketball game...". My wife and her family, not being sports people, looked at me disapprovingly.
I never want my kids to know the thoughts and words that travel through my face when I'm watching a Michigan game. I develop temporary Asberger's.
and that doesn't make any sense.
Aspberger's is typically associated with high intelligence but less apt social awareness. My uncle has it and he's amazing at a lot of things, but does and says some very inappropriate things. That's what I was getting at.
My son is six and is 100% maize & blue. He cried as Denard walked off the field following the Gator Bowl and lept into my arms at the end of the Syracuse game (not a school night). He didn't stay up last night and pouted a bit when I told him the score of the championship game. We talked while he got ready for school about Michigan playing hard the entire game and doing the very best they could. We then discussed, like Michigan, his doing the very best he can in everything (reading, helping his mom, etc) and that's all anyone can ask. It was a very teachable moment and one of the reasons I wanted to be a father.
My family has had football tickets for 41 years. I grew up in section 5 and this fall my son will see his first game from those same seats. It will unquestionably be an overwhelming experience for both of us.
Sports, because they are actually just a recreational diversion, are a great way for family to connect with similar interests, without the high stakes that conflict of interests and politics and life can bring.
My Mum and sisters and I will still call each other from thousands of miles away to talk about a game. It brings us together. What greater purpose can there be?
ditch first half of the school day to watch the game last night. We are going to the Spring game saturday. He is becoming more of a Michigan Man by the day...Dad choking back tears of pride...
My 6 and 4 year old daughters had their Michigan shirts on when I got home from work yesterday.... I was proud.
Wife, 6 year old son, 2 year old daughter, and 8 month old son. All of them were ready and dressed with MIchigan outfits ready for school and work. I was proud...warms the heart.
I try to get down to Ann Arbor to see games with the three kids as much as possible. We have been to baseball, hockey, football, basketball and women's gymnastics. My husband has a crazy work schedule, so a lot of the time it is just me and the kids. Good times. They also love Pizza House, so I get my chipati fix as well...
likes Michigan only because I've brainwashed him and have pushed Maize and Blue down his throat. When I told him this morning that we lost. He acted sad and gave me a hug. He said he really wanted them to win.
I don't know if he loves Michigan just yet but I know he HATES Ohio!
My 6 year old truly discovered Michigan sports this year; he always watched with me before, but now he's paying attention and the Blue obsession has completely taken over. As crappy as I felt watching the last few seconds tick off last night, that was nothing compared to watching his reaction this morning. In his mind, Michigan should win every game in every sport every time; losing is not an option. He was almost late for school he was so upset.
Learning the joys and sorrows of sports fandom is awesome at its best, but sucks at its worst.
When we lost y'day, I was feeling disappointed having come so close. I was telling my 2-year old daughter about how Michigan lost. She obviously doesnt understand what losing means yet, but she came up to me and said..
"Don't be sad, dad". And sang "Hail to the Victors" for me and gave me a hug.
A very touching moment in my life.
We will be back, Go Blue!
...and inspirational stories on here! i grew up a Michigan fan and can remember watching games on TV when I was 5 years old with my grandpa and other family members...I grew up in a working/poor environment and it always brought me great joy to watch the Wolverines take the field/court. All my friends and myself pretended to be Chris Webber or Charles Woodsen playing sports in our parents backyards...As soon as I got a decent job out of college I took my parents and brother and sister to a Michigan football game. It was an incredibly proud moment for my parents to see that their young boy (the same one who shot long 3's in the driveway p[retending to win the championship game) pay for his entire family to go to the game...It was at that point I realized that even though I am not a Michigan grad, it was a true feeling of community and family inside the Big House...No amount of money could make me feel better than seeing my family happy on that day and the looks on their faces when Denard and the rest of the team came out of the tunnel...I hope to some day also have kids and bring them to a game and share the tradition that was given to me by a lot of people like you and the stories you have just shared...so for that I say thank you and Go Blue!
My wife and I are both alumni and we raised 3 kids as Michigan fans, watching lots on TV and attending the occasional football, basketball, or baseball game. Our daughter went to MSU, but for elementary ed, so okay. Both boys didn't apply anywhere but UM and it has been a blast enjoying their college years (from a safe distance) with them as they became Michigan men.
I won't bore you with all the Michigan athletic and academic experiences we shared, but this year's final four run really topped it off nicely as our youngest finishes up.
My 13-year-old is more of a football fan than a basketball fan, but he watched a lot of tourney games with us.
Because we live in Ann Arbor, we started taking him to events when he was very small. When you have an active preschooler sometimes the best thing to do on a winter's evening is throw the kid in the car and go to the VB game or Gymnastics meet, even though you know the main draw for that child is going to be the popcorn.
The UTL game was the pinnacle for me, jumping up and down like a crazy person with my son & husband doing the same thing next to me. We have good memories from vacations and family reunions and other fun times, but that is one event that we all can recall very clearly and nearly identically.
I've shared with others that the very best thing about this season was sharing it with my 12 y/o - him wearing his Trey Burke jersey for every tournament game and then me coaching his basketball team each Sat and Sun before/after Michigan games. It has been awesome and I know he will remember this for a very, very long time.
with diary on this topic later.
For now, both my daughters started watching games in utero.
#1 has three degrees from UM and works on fixing Detroit.
#2 loves horses, so degree in equine science from U. Kentucky.
Lloyd Carr was the third most influential adult in their lives, after Mom and Dad. Not just watching the games but attending the football busts and hearing the seniors describe their experience.
Brady continues the tradition, and John Beilen is a great coach and a better man.
We are blessed with great leaders who run programs that can inspire our children.
Growing up, I don't have a ton of memories of going to games with my parents, but that's because my mom gave me a better gift: My mom was on the booster club of the U of M women's basketball team, which eventually landed my sister and I full time ball boy/girl roles when we were old enough to know how to stay out of the way of the game and wipe down the floor when necessary. This eventually culiminated in a dozen or so appearances as a ballboy for the men's team during a time when a group called the fab five were playing. This unfortunately ended when my eldest sister started getting recruited for basketball and we had to disassociate ourselves from the university
So while I don't really have a lot of memories of being at more than a handful of Michigan sporting evens with my parents, I was gifted with being able to say I was actually a part of the fab five era Wolverines (through a technicality). I don't think I'll ever be able to give my daughter, who's due the week before the first football game this year, that cool of a gift, but like you current MGoParents, I hope to instill the love of Michigan sports with her at an early age.
even the guy with no kids at the top. enjoyable stories, all of them.
random comments: i was 4th gen Univ of Mich, 2 nieces are 5th gen. dad went to Mich before WWII, finished at MSU after. first college game i saw was at MSU. i played hockey (not enough) for mich and have been a football season holder since '80. missed most games after graduation til came home from out west in '04. ann arbor is 4 hrs south. would take the various children to see my dad in e. detroit and get special grandfather time on friday and then sat a.m. did my best to 'interview' my dad about his life for the kids to hear - his WWII P-51 days, meeting mom, his business stories, all of it. he died 8/11, but not before all my kids got a few of those special weekend. then on the saturdays after more time with dad, would take child to football game and special father son/daughter day, then back up north.
now we have lots more kids so i have to trade for 4 seats/game. 5 boys, 2 girls, all love football. the oldest boys play now, the youngest are waiting, desperate to start. all are mich fans as you can imagine. oldest daugther asked last night if maybe i could take her to a b-ball game. that answer is a 'yes'.
our children don't need our money or 'stuff' we could buy them, they need our time and guidance doing educational and fun stuff, or just hanging out together. michigan sports are a great way to do that.
go blue to all of you.
April 12th, 2013 at 12:40 PM ^
As you say - "our children don't need our money or 'stuff' we could buy them, they need our time and guidance doing educational and fun stuff, or just hanging out together. michigan sports are a great way to do that."
Our children just need to know that they are the most important thing in our lives, and including them in the other things that are important is 1 of the best ways to do that. For about 6 years, I rarely played golf without taking at least 1 son with me. Since my kids have been born, so for the last 30 years, I can count on one hand the number of sporing events I have been to without at least 1 of them. I highly recommend this approach - maybe 1 day your kid will call with tickets in the players' section or a pass to the Ryder Cup. Glorious.
I suck at this, but I am old and suck at many things that are not a nap
i told my boys that they'll remeber that game for the rest of their lives. i remeber vividly the 91 & 92 Finals.
this is my son after the kansas game.
My older son is a different story. He is sports obsessed. Tries so hard to understand all of the complex rules and asks tons of questions. He idolizes me, so since he was 2, he has tried to watch parts of the fb games with me and my wife. Usually, his interest faded after a half, other than to cheer like crazy whenever Denard was on the field (naturally good judgment).
For the past two years, he has been really into basketball, so last season, we started watching the Michigan basketball games together. He loved Novak and for his birthday last year begged us for a Novak jersey. He wears it to school (in ny) as often as we will let him. This season, his interest took on a new height after I took him to the Michigan / K-State game at Madison square garden in November. Since then, he hasn't missed a single game on tv. He still talks about that day as "the best day ever in his whole entire life." I would be lying if I said that him saying that isn't the best thing that i have ever heard in my whole entire life. Being able to have days like that with my son only make my love for all things Michigan even deeper.
My son is 18 and we have been watching UM sports both live and on TV since we both can remember. We did again last night and I did so knowing it was going to be a special night. He will be heading off to college next fall and yesterday I was actually thinking about the fact that next year I will not get to watch the games with him. It made me sad, but I knew last night was going to be special. He got accepted at Michigan, but has narrowed his college choices to Vanderbilt and Harvard. He and I both know he will always be a huge Michigan fan. It is in his DNA. I have 2 daughters, one who will watch games with me, so all is not lost. For all of you with little ones, enjoy these opportunities and memories, they are special. I read this blog almost daily (as does my son), but I rarely comment. I am always proud to be a Michigan Wolverine. And I am proud to be associated with this blog.
I live in seattle and my kids were 5 or 6 the first time they visited the state. We got off the plane and they were asking where was the "M". They literally thought Michigan was Michigan stadium. lol
I went to my first Michigan bowl game on Jan 1, 1991. My family went to Florida for Christmas, so my dad took me see Michigan rout Ole Miss in the Gator Bowl. 20 years later, on Jan 1, 2011, I took my nine year old son to his first Michigan bowl game to see the Wolverines get routed by Miss St in the Gator Bowl. I sucked as a father.
A year later, I totally redeemed myself when I took him to the Sugar Bowl.
April 12th, 2013 at 12:51 PM ^