Steph Curry isn’t the only professional athlete who brings his kids to the podium. It's happening more often these days. Is it a distraction? Not to him.
One thing I like about these things is that when kids show up, it helps humanize the stars. When the British royals have kid problems, that’s a bonus.
Anyway, the public gets to see they’re people with families and problems, large and small. Sort of like everyone else.
I knew a pro athlete who had a son with a disability. He said he was like any other dad who worries about his kids, hopes they do well in their swimming lessons and — yes — doesn’t want them to be spoiled.
Recently, golfer Matt Kuchar led the British Open with five holes to play but ended up losing. After the round, he told media how much wanted to win — not for himself, but because his kids cared so much.
“And when it doesn’t work out and you aren’t the hero holding the trophy, it’s saddening, as well. I saw the look in their eyes, and I wanted to be that guy. So I was a little bit broken myself that I wasn’t that guy,” he said.
He said he tells his kids to try their best and things work out, even though they won’t always win. He went on to say “these are lessons that I think will pay dividends in the long run.”
They already have.
It's true there was a lesson for kids about winning and losing. But another lesson that came from Kuchar was for grownups: that players are just ordinary people with one extraordinary skill.
It’s OK to cheer for them, even question or sometimes criticize them. That’s part of fandom. But don’t be too harsh when they fail.
They have kids who care about their parents, too.