My Father's Day "Do-Over"

by Phil Stott

Do-over? Done.
 
Wow. Not even a week since I wrote about wanting a Father's Day do-over, and I've already had it. (In fact, as I write, it's not even a week since Father's Day.) Sure, my special day do-over lasted a mere two hours, and involved standing in a horrendously uncomfortable spot atop a bench in the middle of Manhattan, peering through a chain link fence, but it was one of the best breaks from my usual routine that I could have come up with. It also fulfilled almost all the rules I laid out in my previous post, in that it was centered around a sporting event, and allowed me to take a break from the stresses and routine of my everyday life. The only thing missing, in fact, was my couch!

The event: Showdown in Chinatown, a charity soccer game featuring some of the top players in world soccer, and several stars from the NBA. The time: right as I was supposed to finish work, meaning I had to sneak out early (another bonus for a "special" day-if it feels illicit, it heightens the enjoyment). The place: a shabby soccer field smack in the middle of Chinatown.

Now in its second year, the game is jointly organized by NBA star Steve Nash (who, it turns out, is almost as good with a ball at his feet as he is with one in his hands), and former US national soccer star Claudio Reyna. Also in attendance were the likes of Thierry Henry, fresh from winning the UEFA Champion's League (European soccer's premier competition-the equivalent of the Super Bowl) with Barcelona, Salomon Kalou of Chelsea, Mathieu Flamini of AC Milan, Inter Milan's Javier Zanetti, Dutch legend Edgar Davids, and several more luminaries of the game. From the basketball side, meanwhile, were the likes of Grant Hill, Tony Park, and a guy called Chris Bosh, who may well be a talented basketball player, but clearly hasn't ever used his feet for much more than standing on! (If you have any doubts, check out this video footage of the game, courtesy of the New York Post).

Now, I will confess that I was a little apprehensive about attending the game-and family was the main reason. My usual routine when I finish work is to jump on the subway, then transfer to my commuter train and head straight for home-a journey that takes around 90 minutes, and usually sees me home around 7:30, some 12 hours after I leave in the morning, approximately 15 minutes before Maeve goes to bed, and around 3 hours before my wife and I usually hit the sack. Any variation, therefore, means that I don't get to see Maeve before she goes to sleep, and really cuts into my time with my wife-things that I'm not willing to sacrifice without a very good reason. As it turns out, my list of reasons includes getting the opportunity to stand within six feet of some of the best soccer players on the planet!

Once I'd decided to go to the game-and cleared the decision with my wife-any feelings of guilt quickly disappeared, and the holiday feeling kind of took over. The soccer helped-despite the guys playing at half speed, there were some incredible skills on display-but it was more than that. Partly, it was the break from the routine; the feeling (one that I remember from before becoming a parent) that I had nowhere to be, and nothing to worry about except my own entertainment-even if it only for a couple of hours.

Partly, though, it was watching a bunch of some of the fittest, best-paid guys in the world having an absolute blast kicking a ball around like a bunch of kids, In doing so, I came to a couple of realizations: first, that most of the guys out there were younger than me, and making a living in a way I'd always dreamed of-a thought that came with not a little side order of regret. It was accompanied, though, with the additional realization that, while I might envy their abilities and lifestyle, I wouldn't trade it for my family life. Now if that isn't a lesson to take from Father's Day-or a do-over-I don't know what is.