As I sit here and reflect as my younger son, Tyler McKinley, is at the EYBL Session 4 in Kansas City with All Ohio Red 17U I'm in awe of this journey. Not just because of my sons' accomplishments. My older son, Alex McGlothin, began playing when he was kindergarten, he'll be 30 this year. Yes, they are 13 years apart. That's a whole nother post. lol I am reflecting on how I've been able to withstand the expenses and time dedicated to what they love to do. It may look effortless, it hasn't always felt that way. When they were born, I didn't set out for them to play basketball. I could never have imagined spending a great deal of time in gyms, some with no air in the summer, searching for size 14 and 15 shoes and socks, and wondering how to afford staying in hotels for weekends or sometimes for an entire week.
With Alex, basketball was the furthest thing from my mind. Though, once Alex began to play, the journey began. It took us places that we had never heard of but loved immediately, Orange Lake Resort and Ron Jon for examples. It became much more than playing on the court, basketball was opening up doors and our eyes to so many new places and things.
Now, when Tyler was born, he was birthed into travel basketball and high school basketball. Quiet as kept, I didn't want him to play until 7th grade for various reasons. One being, I thought Alex had played way too much. Little did I know that Tyler would play even more, travel more and require more as a basketball player and a current D-1 recruit. There's a scripture that says to whom much is given, much is required. Tyler had been given a lot of training and coaching by his older brother and at some point Alex realized that he needed to find high level trainers and camps for little brother.
I think it says a lot when your brother sees something in you and comes up with a blueprint. That plan has costs all of us some things. For instance attending family and social events, missing church and birthday celebrations. The three of us have had to sacrifice greatly on and for the journey, especially in the beginning. It's one thing to travel within Ohio or event to Indy. It's another thing to travel to Orlando, Memphis or Charlotte for a week. Or!!!!! To drive, to Alabama one weekend, for The Battle of the Magic City Classic, and the next weekend to St. Louis, for the Coach T Classic.
The day would go like this. Go to school and work. After work grab our luggage, get in the car and drive. There might be practice or a team meeting once we hit the city. The rest of the weekend was basketball and a long ride home.
On Monday, we were back at school and work. It was also the day for me to balance everything spent for that weekend and make sure bills were paid. Honestly, bills were not always paid. Hey, let's keep it real. The 90s, early 2000s, it was rough. Once Alex went to college it kinda eased up. Kinda, until Tyler started playing. Now, I was back on the road. Fortunately it was a familiar one.
I think what has made the difference is Alex really taking an active role in Tyler's life. He's like a brother, trainer coach to Tyler. He's been the father figure to Tyler that he wanted when he was younger.
(It's December 7, 2022. In nine days Alex will be 30. Which essentially means that I have been a basketball mom for about 20 years or so. While we have had struggles and sacrifices, there has also been a lot of joy on the journey. For that I give thanks.)
