Raising kids with spunk

Can you guess which one is my little man?

So today our little man, almost a head shorter than every other basketball player on his team, ran out on the court all fired up to play the last tournament game of the season. He was doing the masculine arm flexing you see NBA players do as they run onto the court along with a few chest bumps (in his case, chest/hip bumps) with his teammates. 

What he lacks in height, he makes up for in determination and competitive spirit. It probably comes as no surprise that he plays point guard. He’s agile and, like Wayne Gresky, he has a really good sense of where the ball is going to be. He’s always in the middle of the action.

He is also astute in knowing his weaknesses -- height and consistent shooting. He knows how to overcome them by dribbling well down court and passing to the kid who can shoot more consistently. Or when there’s a scramble for a ball, he grabs on tight and flops to the ground, pulling the bigger kid down because he almost always gets possession. Then he gets to his feet and gets away, running down the court faster than the other kid. 

Needless to say, his spunk is what makes it so much fun to watch him play ball.

However, this same spunk gets him in trouble at times. At school, at summer camp and even Sunday school, he’s had his fair share of discipline for being a class clown. Often times, he has an inability to contain his restless energy, he talks too loudly or he takes his competitive spirit to the playground. Sigh. 

As a parent it’s a struggle to navigate the balance between discipline and encouragement. But as I watch his team win the game and witness one of the taller players picking up my little man and slinging him over his shoulder for a court side celebration, I have to think that he’s going to be more than A-Ok with that competitive spirit and ambition. I think it shows that he is willing to overcome obstacles and utilize his strengths.

Tiffany Crenshaw is a  North Carolina native, wife, mother of 2 wild and crazy kids, and an entrepreneur. She loves her family, a delicious glass of red wine, girl time and the occasional spa treatment. As an enthusiastic member of Wednesday Night Whine, she rarely misses a “meeting” unless she’s traveling for business. She is the President and CEO of Intellect Resources, a recruiting and consulting firm specializing in the healthcare IT industry.