When I was in high school, I played on both the football and wrestling team, each for one season. My parents were extremely hesitant about me participating in these sports because they didn’t want me to jeopardize playing in the orchestra or see me fail AP Physics. However, I eventually convinced them that I had to play these sports through strategic whining and complaining – they reluctantly agreed.

Looking back, my high school sports career in wrestling and football was completely underwhelming (I was a Track & Field guy, btw). I don’t recall scoring too many touchdowns and I can’t remember winning a whole lot of wrestling matches. But I learned two very important lessons while playing those sports that I carry with me to this day:

• When you get knocked down, get back up again – quickly: I played running back for my high school football team, and as many of you might know, you get knocked around – a lot. One memory that I so clearly remember was this one time when I got knocked down pretty hard in practice and my coach kept screaming, “Get back up!” (Looking back, if you are in a serious injury, it is best to stay on the ground.) I remember thinking to myself, “I don’t really want to get back up because I’m just going to get knocked down again.” But I quickly turned over and picked myself off the ground. I learned what it meant to never quit and to always get back up. Today, the knock downs are not so much physical, but emotional and psychological. Life is full of disappointments and failures, and in so many of these cases, I return to what I learned in football: “Get back up!”

• The loving support of mom and dad is important in child development: My parents really didn’t like the fact that I played these sports. Particularly my mom. I remember this one time during a wrestling match when my mom was so concerned as she watched me getting thrown around on the mat by someone with far better wrestling techniques than me (just a note: I learned that year in wrestling that a head-lock is not a legal wrestling move.) Though they didn’t necessarily approve of my decision, they still supported, nevertheless, and showed up to my games and matches. This really helped my self confidence during my teenage years, to know that I always had support from my biggest fans: mom and dad.

I’m so thankful for my loving parents who gave me so many opportunities to learn life lessons when growing up and were supportive every step of the way. My parents were by no means perfect, but I know they wanted the best for me.

But above all, I’m thankful that they taught me Biblical principles early on in life, even when I didn’t care about God. Looking back, that laid a foundation for me. I only hope that I can be as good a parent in the future, that is, if God wills it. :)