Terry Foster: The Family Deal Home-Court Advantage

By Terry Foster
The Family Deal

Pontiac -- I was catching up on an episode of House of Cards when a face appeared behind my computer screen and asked me to take my headphones off.

It was a teenage boy with a lot of time on his hands who just wanted to talk. So I obliged. We were in Ultimate Soccer Arena where my son Brandon trains with the Force Football Club.

It is also where men from around the community come to play recreation league soccer. The boy's dad was playing on one of the fields.

"Why don't you go see your father play," I said wanting to get back to House of Cards.

The boy told a story that just would not fly in my household. He said he does not watch his father play sports and that the dad does not come to his games.

"I play better when he is not around," the boy said. "And he plays better when I'm not around."

So the boy does not watch and the dad does not watch.

There is something wrong here. I try to make every game I can to see my kids play. That includes games in the freezing rain and hundreds of miles from home. You are supposed to be there cheering them when they do well and wrapping an arm around them when things go wrong. We've been on the wrong end of horrific games and you have to rush over as quickly as possible to rub the would with a cup of ice cream or a cup cake.

I've been there for those horrific soccer games, dance recitals, speeches and science projects. It was not always fun but my job is to create as much as a friendly home court advantage as possible. I've even taken earlier flights to get back in time.

It was also a proud moment to have my children at my induction to the Central Michigan University journalism Hall of Fame. This was a family deal event for me.

Friendly faces and encouraging words fuel athletes all the way from T-ball to the pros. Why do you think teams play better at home and win at a higher clip? Encouragement goes a long way in pushing athletes. I could never imagine missing one of my kids' events. Sometimes it happens. I used to be on the road a lot and missed games and events.

It used to kill me and I called as soon as I could to get results. My daughter Celine plays a game for her West Bloomfield High School team at Warren Mott and I won't be there because it conflicts with the radio show. I wish I could be there.

The boy I talked to seemed fine with his dad missing his games. It was part of his normal life, but a part of me felt sorry for him. He does not have that family deal home-court advantage that we all need.