March Madness has plenty of drama, measured in buzzer beaters and busted brackets. But every year, the backdrop of basketball conjures its share of compelling stories about fathers and sons, victory and vindication, legacy and loss. Two years ago, for example, longtime NBA coach Doug Collins could barely contain himself as he watched his son Chris coach Northwestern’s first-ever tournament appearance. And this year, there are plenty of other stories to capture our attention:
- After sitting out a year to transfer and play for his father, Aubrey Dawkins had a “magnificent” game against his father’s alma mater, Duke.
- Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski praised his former player and assistant Johnny Dawkins, “the first great player who believed in us,” as family.
- Two other legendary coaches, Kentucky’s John Calipari and Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim, are coaching their sons.
- Right after Florida State’s first-round victory over Vermont, forward Phil Cofer broke into tears when he learned his father had passed away during the game.
- The first-round pairing between Minnesota’s Richard Pitino and Louisville, which recently dismissed his father Rick, was deemed proof that the NCAA Selection Committee “has developed a wicked sense of humor.”
- Washington guard Matisse Thybulle’s most vocal fan is his father, Greg, who attends each game to renew his connection to his late wife.
- And all over the country, dads and sons like this pair are so excited to make lifetime memories by attending games together that they’re arriving at the arena three hours too early.
If you’re just into manufactured competition (and thirsty), check out these Hot Dad brackets from Marie Claire. Sure, the idea of “March Dadness” is well-traveled, but it’s an encouraging sign of gender equality when men, too, can be sized up and categorized based only on what we look like.
Besides, if being a dad contributes to our sexy factor (and let’s face it, it totally does), we’ll take it.
HOW DO YOU DISRUPT AGING?
Over the past few weeks, the Dad 2.0 community, along with our partners at Disrupt Aging from AARP, has been engaged in heartfelt, humorous, and humbling conversations about the effects of aging on fatherhood (see our ‘Gram Of The Week below). And since we’re all about prompts for engaging content, we’d love to add your voice to mix.
Make a short video, between 30 seconds and three minutes in length, about how aging is affecting your life. How it may be different than you expected, and maybe how you’ve learned to embrace your balding, sagging, aching selves. Enter the #DadsDisruptAging video contest on Twitter and you’ll have a chance to win one of five (5) $100 Amazon gift cards (which will buy a good bit of that melon-ball goop that Cindy Crawford preserves herself in every night).
Time is flying, folks!
IN THE NEWS
Is the financial strain of parenting affecting your retirement plans?
Parents often use analytical and polite language with daughters and competitive language with sons. This can give young girls the impression that they should be polite and follow rules, which can prevent girls from becoming mentally strong women.
Supporting dads is a big way to achieve equality in the workplace, and a new study finds companies regarded as more equal are also the most innovative and successful.
“By the end of these workshops, these fathers are usually less reactive, and more engaged with their children and their partners.”
“The dangers associated with overparenting are, after all, largely in the future.”
“The best thing about it is you have men around you who can teach you how not to be on the streets, how not to be a thug. To live your life and do good things in life.”
When it comes to raising kids, parents today don’t always follow the same paths their parents did.
The number of Spanish men who request a reduction of working hours to care for children or dependent adults has jumped over the past 10 years from 6,100 to 16,400, but that’s still only 5% of the total.
Parents, ever feel like your child’s homework is actually meant for you?
PORCHLIGHT POSTS
- “Maybe this hypercritical view of my work and self criticism is something I ought to explore as having passed along to the children.” – Joshua Wilner, Could You Start Over?
- “It was embarrassing and awkward, and afterwards both admitted that the main reason neither of us had gone over to check on him was because we were guys.” – Jeremy Barnes, An Awkward Moment at the Playground
- “That’s what parents do. We learn to put our child’s needs before our own.” – Andrew Knott, Preserving Childhood Innocence by Burying the Unfortunate
- “There is a chance for glory and individual accomplishment, but you must never lose sight of the fact that you are part of something bigger than yourself.” – Frank Priegue, Baseball and Parenting
- “I don’t know about you, but I worry about what kind of people my children will be when they’re older.” – Mike Armstrong, The Kids Are Alright
‘GRAM OF THE WEEK
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