12/18/24
June 30, 2010
A Gift From the Game: Part of the beauty of sport is that it can be transformative on any scale, large or small. It can draw a nation of millions closer together—how many of us high-fived a stranger after the U.S. World Cup win over Algeria last week?—and it can change one boy's life in a small Canadian town.
I can imitate Tiger Woods sex drive ... or John Dalys propensity for the booze.
posted by Ricardo at 08:31 AM on July 01, 2010
My wife works with autistic kids everyday at school and I have worked with a couple as a scout master for challenged kids. They can be the most frustrating kids to work with, but when you find something that keeps them centered (and it will be something different for each one, and frequently things that you don't expect) it can be the most rewarding experience one can find. It is great to see that this kid has found his something.
posted by Demophon at 09:34 AM on July 01, 2010
I can imitate Tiger Woods sex drive ... or John Dalys propensity for the booze.
I used to THINK I could emulate Tiger Woods' sex drive, but it was always after emulating John Daly's propensity for the booze.
I can echo Demophon's comment about the special needs kids. My wife also works with the autistic kids at school. Most days she comes home completely washed out from the frustration, but every once in a while, one of her kids "gets it", and it makes her day. Most of the kids she works with are extremely bright (the Asberger's Syndrome end of the autistic spectrum), and when you keep them focused and understand their needs, they can do great things. The problems happen later on, when teachers and students in "normal" classrooms fail to understand or tolerate their behavior. I'm glad to hear of some golfers who can understand.
posted by Howard_T at 04:57 PM on July 01, 2010
Nice story - thanks for the link, cjets. I started reading with some trepidation, waiting for the voice of the pushy father to come through the article. Then I read that his father quit his job so he could drive the bus for the special-needs kids and spend more time with his son, and this quote made me smile: "When he comes in after shooting a round, I want his score to be the last thing he tells me." Encouraging.
(My own dad always used to ask me when I came in "How'd you play?" and it was like a game of cat and mouse to see how long I could answer that question without telling him what I scored. I asked him once why he never just asked me what I shot. "Scores are for pros. Part of the joy of being an amateur is that you can still enjoy yourself even if you're shooting 80.")