With Coach Lynch at the Orlando airport (Florida trip).We left New Jersey at 10 a.m. today hoping to make it to Washington before rush hour. What should have been no more than a 4-hour trip took more than 6 hours with the ridiculous 95 South traffic, but we got here before the worst of rush hour and are settling in.
The nice part about this trip is that we stay just across the river from Georgetown, so there is plenty to do in the downtime (maybe I'll even visit the Newseum!).
Travel is obviously a big part of the AAU commitment. Haley practices in Philadelphia 2 or 3 times a week, a 5 to 6 hour venture each time, if you count the travel time to and from and the 2 hour practice. Thankfully my husband has done most of these trips. Most teams will also do one tournament in the March open period and 3 or 4 during the July period. Sometimes the trips are sponsored and paid for, but more often the players and their families foot the bill. The cost is not insignificant.
Consider my family's July schedule. From July 5 through 8, Kurt (my husband) and Haley were in Orlando for the Disney Junior Showcase. July 9 and 10, Ryan was at Eastern Elite Team Camp at the College of New Jersey, and then from July 11 through 13 in Boston for the Academic All-American Camp. Next he flew to the Hoop Group Classic in Morgantown, W. Va., which ran from July 14 to 16. Seven straight days of basketball. Exhausting!! I met him there for the weekend and couldn't drive him home fast enough (I'll save my post about why I hope to never again set foot in Morgantown for another time). Haley and I are here until Friday, July 25, and Kurt and Ryan leave Wednesday, July 24, for 2 tournaments in Florida, lasting until August 1. In the middle of that, Kurt will drive to South Carolina on July 27 to meet Haley, who'll be playing in the Nike Nationals from July 28 to 31. Then the two of them will drive back to Florida to get Ryan, and all 3 will fly home together on August 1.
What about work, you might ask? Well, there are cell phones, fax machines and computers everywhere and there are 24 hours in a day, so you do what you have to do. On the trip here, I spent close to 3 hours on conference calls, with the help of my assistant/co-pilot/daughter, who took notes during the calls and kept us on course.
And what about the cost? It is a lot. Like all families, we've made choices. We haven't taken anything that resembles a real vacation in years (probably back in the 90s). We have an 85-year-old house that needs a new roof, new windows, some central air (there is none) and a new kitchen (yes, it is the original kitchen, with no dishwasher!). When we add up what we've spent on traveling sports for our kids, we'd probably have enough money to do all that work.
Are we crazy? Yes. Would we do this all over again if we had to? Yes. The kids have shown time and again that this is their dream (not ours) and that they are committed to seeing it through. Plus, when we look around and see what else they could've been doing through their teen years, we'd take this lifestyle anyday.
Girls are off at their NCAA certification meeting, then bedcheck at 10 and up and out at 8 tomorrow morning. First game at 9:30 against the NY Crystal City Stars. Second game at 2:30 against the VA James River Blaze.
Go Belles!
Sharon
3 comments:
oh my gosh, that schedule sounds completely exhausting. that's some commitment for you and kurt to have to take the kids all over the place. If I were in your shoes, I'd like to think I'd do it, too (though somehow I would try to find the cash for a dishwasher...can't imagine having to wash all the dishes every day!!) can't believe you're doing all this and going to school yourself, too. it sounds like you're really close to your kids, which is great.
p.s. you MUST go to the Newseum and tell us what you think! (okay, not required to pass RW1, just a suggestion!)
How the heck are you managing all of this?!? Yikes. Funny enough, your post doesn't make me think too much about basketball. It really gets my wheels turning about the EXPERIENCE of parenthood that I always hear mom and dad’s try to articulate: the juxtaposition of extreme sacrifice and extreme reward that come with the territory.
Sharon, your family's experience is what resonates with me most as I read your blog. (And the image of you working in the car, with your daughter as assistant, was so great.) I'll keep reading with interest. Go Belles!
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