I see how you never get a break from any of it. One sport season leads right into the next. There is no time off. That one week where you may not have practices, games, classes, meets, etc, is golden. I see how much you love that your kids love what they do, but I also see how it wears on you. I see that there are some nights you and your partner only have about 30 minutes together and how you are both too tired to even talk to each other. All you can do is sit in a pool of exhaustion on the couch and watch mindless television in silence.
Whether you are a working parent or a stay at home parent, the logistics of getting kids where they need to be is tiring. You cross your fingers and hope they have people on their teams or in their classes that you know so you can have help driving place to place. You can't wait until they are old enough to take themselves to practices or classes, and part of you feels guilty for it. You spend countless hours pitching a ball, kicking a ball, watching a routine, and running with your child for conditioning. You spend countless dollars on gear needed for everything. You do load after load of laundry to make sure uniforms and leotards are clean in time for the next round of what's to come. You make sure you register for training camps the moment they are announced so your child doesn't get shut out. You have to have your kids make tough choices about activities, because as much as you want them to experience everything they want, you can't be in 100 places at once. You help them through the disappointment of not being able to be in theatre because it interferes with dance.
I see you cheering on your child from the stands or sidelines. I see how excited you are for them when they nail that Jete or sore a touchdown. I see how you comfort and encourage them when they strike out. I feel your heartbreaking when you didn't get to see any of it because you had to be at work or with another child at another sport. I know how much you want your child to know you are rooting for them. It shows. Believe it, me it shows.
Being a sport parent, you teach your kids so many lessons without them even knowing. You teach them perseverance. You teach them dedication. You teach them decision making. You teach them prioritizing. Hopefully, you're teaching them good sportsmanship, but, being a sport parent, you see that a lot of parents seem to be missing that lesson (here's a little tip, if your kid is 10 and in rec softball for the first time ever, chances of her being her being the next Dot Richardson are slim, so calm the f down). You teach your children it's more than scoring goals, making baskets, or crossing the finish line first. You teach them it's about doing their own personal best and trying their hardest. You teach them it's about being a team and you cheer for your teammates. With your defense, it doesn't matter how good you are on offense. You teach them are no small parts because everyone works together to complete the picture. You teach them it is OK to be sad for a loss or messing up, but it's not OK to blame others for it. You teach them to take responsibility. You teach them that sometimes, life isn't fair. Sometimes, they will get a bad call or sometimes they will get no call when it's clearly a foul. You teach them they just have to keep going.
You teach them all these things because they see you, too. They may not acknowledge it or even realize it, but they see you. And, if you're teaching the right lessons, it's all worth it.