Competitive Fire

The weekend came and went, and like always, lots of fun was had by all. Aidan had two games on Saturday (more on that below) and Lori and Aidan, along with some of Lori's co-workers went to the Frisco RoughRiders minor league baseball game on Sunday. Although the Roughriders lost, everybody had a real good time at the game. I stayed home with Christopher, and we both enjoyed watching THE MASTERS on TV.

I am sure the most of you reading this are familiar with the term "Competitive Fire". You have probably heard the term overused by numerous announcers during sporting events, and to be honest most people probably just tune it out as "announcer cliché speak". Most people never really give the actual meaning behind the term much thought. Micheal Clarkson, author of the book titled "Competitive Fire" defines it like this:

""It" is the special inner drive that allows an athlete to thrive in competition. At times it manifests itself in anger, at other times as a great burst of energy or power, and sometimes even as an almost surreal experience commonly called "the zone."

I think the above definition is spot on, and captures the essence of the intense emotions associated with the burning desire to win.

I have always considered myself to be a competitive person, and ever since I can remember I have always wanted to/needed to win at whatever I was doing. I have always thought my "competitive fire" burned as hot or hotter than most, and in the past, it has only been on rare occasions that I have met or played against someone with a stronger will to win. All of that has now changed since Aidan has been old enough to participate in competition. I have never in my life been around a more competitive person.....period. With Aidan, it borders on obsession.....and to be quite frank it sometimes can be downright scary. 5 year old boys are not supposed to care about "winning" this much. Soccer, Tball, Pop-a-shot, running, eating, drinking, putting together a puzzle, playing video games.....etc.....you name it, and he wants to do it better than anyone around. He literally gets upset when I (a 42 year old man) can do something better than him, and he can barely stand it.

Believe me when I tell you this is not just a case of a father seeing more in his son than others see. On numerous occasions, I have had random parents come to me and ask or comment about Aidan's will to win and succeed. At this point I am hoping his unwavering desire to win is a blessing and not a curse. With his early success in Tball and Soccer, humility is a trait that will have to be force fed to Aidan on a regular basis just to keep him in-line. Lori and I do not want to extinguish Aidan's "Competitive Fire", for that is a trait that most are not blessed with, and to do so would be a travesty. At the same time, we are both going to have to work overtime to keep his adrenaline rush of competition in order.

As I mentioned in the first paragraph, Aidan had two more games this weekend. First was his soccer game, and it was his best effort to date. Aidan is playing unbelievable. There is no other way to say it.

Aidan is currently playing in a league that does not allow goalies, so some might opine that scoring does not mean very much. Well, considering that each and every player is playing under the same rules and has the same chance and opportunities, you would think that scores would be astronomical. Well, they are not, and that is what makes Aidan's season so jaw dropping.

Aidan scored another 6 goals on Saturday and hit the sidebar on a 7th try. His team won the game 6-4. Aidan has scored in every game, and he has been in the game 12 out of the 20 quarters his team has played this season. During the time he has been in the game, Aidan has outscored the other teams 16-3. It really is a lot of fun to watch, although sometimes it makes both Lori and me a little uncomfortable around the other parents. Soccer must come naturally to Aidan, for neither me nor his mother know very much about the game. I do not know if he will stick with soccer very long for he likes baseball much better, but if he does I have no doubt that he will be a very special player.

During his Tball game Aidan hit the ball much better, and has really done a good job of getting a rhythm with his swing. He got to play pitcher and first base, and had numerous opportunities in the field. He made all of the plays that came his way and looked really good doing it. He has another game tonight, and we are all looking forward to it.

William