You've raised him well, Katie

Ever since Katie came back from Bible camp, or wherever it is she went for two weeks recently, she been sort of off her feed. Spot is pleased to report that she's back in fine fettle today talking about Rising when we fall and learning when we lose. It's about her son's internment on the Christian Bad News Bears soccer team. It is a wonder to Spot that Katie let a son play soccer; it so European!

According to Katie, she asked her son:

What was the greatest memory of his sports career? His answer was prompt: the soccer team his junior year in high school. I was astounded. Their record was a dismal 0-15.

Either Katie made that up, or this kid is going to make a great Catholic priest, or maybe an Opus Dei member! Son of Katie apparently really liked the way they got chewed out at half-time when they were way behind. A real connoisseur.

Katie bemoans the fact there is so little competition for kids today:

Today, many kids aren't used to merit-based competition. They've experienced only a steady stream of bland praise intended to boost a largely meaningless sense of self-esteem. Sports presents a high-stakes challenge: the possibility of very public failures in front of schoolmates and family.

In sports, someone always wins and someone loses.

Yeah, Katie. It's such a shame that a youngster's life isn't like that all the time.

In fact, this is why, when Katie's kids were younger, they used to have the Pork Chop Games every Wednesday night before heading off to catechism. Katie would cook three pork chops for her four kids, and then there would be some kind of physical or mental contest to see who got the chops. Of course, the younger ones rarely got one, but that's an important lesson, too! And they got breakfast the next morning, so what's the harm?


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