Below is an email that sums up what homeschool athletics are all about. I’ve tried for years to explain to others what makes it so special. This is the best I’ve ever seen!
Reprinted with permission from Dari Mullins, Asheville Trailblazers
Dear NCHE Athletic Western Conference Members, I just wanted to write and personally thank each one of you for your commitment to NCHE homeschool athletics. Ernie and other NCHE athletic committee members, thanks SOOO much for acting on your vision for homeschool higher level sports competition and seeing that vision through over the past years. Here are some of my thoughts on this past weekend. Please feel free to share this with your member families since they also sacrifice for all of the kids too. As I was sitting at the Trailblazer Varsity Boys game Friday night (at the regional tournament) watching our guys – who had struggled all year- come back and almost beat the #3 seed, I couldn’t help but feel like all of the blood, sweat and tears that we put into this organization is worth it. Then to see those same guys support the middle school and JV teams like they did was such a blessing. I watched as a large group of boys ate together, joking and having fun like teenagers love to do. I saw a group of middle school girls bonding over the trophy they earned together. I watched a senior varsity girl have her shoes signed by other players and adults alike so she would have a momento from her high school sports experience. I saw all age kids share boxes of donuts as if they were starving to death! I admired the siblings who came to watch all of the games – seeming to have almost as much fun as the ones playing in the tournament. I viewed the reuniting of families as older college aged siblings, grandparents and other family members came to cheer for their loved ones and enjoy being together. I watched cameras and cell phones click to capture the special moments in still form forever. I saw groups from opposing teams congratulate each other on being named to the all- tournament team or varsity all-stars. On the way home I listened as two of the JV boys replayed every point, steal and rebound. They laughed about the silly mistakes, ragged on each other about missed plays and congratulated each other on the awesome ones. It was then that I realized….. We are creating memories for these kids – memories that they will tell their kids about – memories that they will relive in the years to come. As homeschoolers those memories are the things that we thought our kids would miss out on. Let’s face it – when we were in school the “big” game against our rival was always so much fun. Traveling to tournaments and spending time together was priceless. As homeschoolers we have decided that these “memories” are not worth sending our children to traditional school – that homeschooling is the BEST choice. The idea that our children can experience that comradery and still have their education under our control is simply the best of both worlds. So when times get tough – when we are getting complaints – when we disagree and when we feel like we just want to quit… remember…IT’S ABOUT THE MEMORIES. Thanks again – for all of your time, commitment and sacrifice to make the tournaments happen this past weekend. Take care, Dari Mullins (WCAA Public Relations/ WCAA Board Member) and the WCAA/Asheville Trailblazers
This is why we homeschool and why we are so passionate about homeschool sports! And thank you Dari for everything that you and your organization do for homeschool athletes!
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