It must be the magic teenage years when young athletes’ personalities change, and attitudes make dramatic upturns and downslides. I’ve noticed it lately with my 14-year-old son, Brandon. The one-word description of school for the day is “boring.” And when asked what he did all day, I get “nothing.” Sounds educational! And I keep wondering why they keep serving “stuff” for lunch. What exactly is “stuff,” and is it good for an athlete?

Oh, the good ole days when he was a toddler, running throughout the house with a bath towel pinned to his back, and wearing Superman pajamas. He would run in circles throughout the halls, saying “da-da-da-da-da-da,” and I would say, “Suuuuuperman!”

Now-a-days, I’m lucky if I get a smile in the morning as he drags himself into the shower at 6:30 a.m. And, bedtime is when the playstation game finishes, rather than the hand of the clock striking 10. Yes, I know it’s common for teenagers to ignore their parents, and speak in one-word sentences. But what about the huggies I used to get from that diaper-packing, super-hero who was faster than his aging father, and could leap out of tall crips before he was three?

I guess I’ll have to settle with a nod of the head as a gesture when he’s hanging with friends. I can’t wait ’til he texts me across the dining room table in the morning, while swallowing his breakfast whole. As long as it says “love ya” at the end, I guess I’m still good!

-Bob Hammerstrom

Tags: attitude personality son sportsmanship, dad teenager communicate