Passing the torch

As I stood on the court at the West Seattle YMCA, coaching my six-year-old son in his first basketball practice, memories flooded back of my own childhood and the man who had introduced me to the game: my father.

Growing up in Alexandria, Virginia, my dad had been the one to sign me up for my first youth league basketball team. I was just 10 years old at the time, and I was nervous and excited to be joining a team for the first time. But as soon as I stepped onto the court, my dad was there by my side, offering encouragement and guidance as I learned the ropes.

As I watched my son run through drills and practice shooting and passing, I found myself thinking back to those early days of my own basketball journey.