Parents

Throughout my life I have been a part of many different sports teams. In high school I was a three sport athlete. I ran cross country in the fall, high jump in the spring, and during the winter months I played basketball. I can't remember a single game or meet where my parents weren't there. They traveled all over the state to see me compete in all these sports. Many parents of high school athletes come to all their kids games, but our situation was very unique.

My parents love Michigan State football. After I graduated from high school, my parents bought season tickets to MSU football games.I said that my parents love MSU. What you should also know is that a tailgate for a MSU football game is actually more like an extended family reunion every week. Every year I get the chance to go to one of these games and I get to see how much fun my dad, and especially my mom, have every week at these games. 

I mentioned that I ran cross country in high school. If you are not familiar with the sport cross country meets are day-long events, and most of the time they take place every Saturday throughout the fall. Cross country is not a great spectator sport. If you go to a meet, you'll get to see the start, finish, and maybe one section of the actual course. My parents would often joke that they run more than I do during my races. 

I say all this because my parents gave up a lot in order to be there to support me and cheer for me at all my sports events. Cross country is not a fun sport to spectate, and high jump is a lot of waiting for a little action. But they were there through all of it, often times in terrible weather. This has meant a lot to me and shaped the way that I will support my future children. It has shown me that they care more about family than they do about college football. I know that they had their priorities right, and it was a lesson to me at a very young age that supporting my family is more important than the sports I like to watch. 

I love watching MSU football and basketball games, but I married a U of M fan who likes to watch Michigan football games. We make our little rivalry fun, but because of the way that I was raised I know that supporting my wife is much more important that voicing my dislike of the Wolverines. Football rivalries are fun, and we enjoy teasing each other about it, but we know that game day shouldn't run our lives. 

So even though I will never be interviewed after a super bowl victory: I'd like to take this chance to thank my mom and dad. And I'm going to Disney Land!