Saying Goodbye to Summer: Four Ways to Keep Sports a Part of Your Life

Make money doing what you love. This is, perhaps, the simplest explanation. In fact, it was recommended to me and I'm seriously considering it. In Pennsylvania, where I am from, they are in desperate need of new referees, umpires, and officials. They've even launched a new Program, called the START Program, to recruit young faces into their ranks.

Check it out: http://www.ncaa.org/wps/ncaa?key=/ncaa/ncaa/ncaa+news/ncaa+news+online/2009/division+iii/officiating_recruitment_effort_produces_results_04_01_09_ncaa_news

After a short certification course, and background check, it's something you can do with flexible hours, as a second job on the weekends, or even as a full time job if you can get certified in enough sports. Having spoken with a few refs, girls lacrosse and field hockey are especially in dire need of referees.

Now, of course, it's up to you how far you want to take it, but reffing a few Friday night football games each month doesn't sound like such a bad deal to me, especially given that my other job prospects are looking slim.

There are drawbacks, of course. Mainly, you're a zebra, forced to endure the hatred of every fan, coach, and player. No matter what you do, someone will be angry at you for it. There's an outside chance you get attacked in the parking lot. It's a real responsibility, but if you honestly love sports, it's also a real way to stay involved in the game.

My dad coached my little league team. My friends coach a seventh-eighth grade basketball team in a summer league. I coach the hell out of my madden franchise.

Coaching is not just a way to stay involved in the game, it's a way to pass down the game. If you're constantly complaining that kids don't play "the right way" these days, do something about it. If you're convinced that the spread offense can revolutionize the Pee-Wee football ranks, try it out. If you know enough to criticize professional athletes, use that knowledge to educate amateur athletes.

It's a big commitment. You have to be there for every game, every practice, every tryout. You have to be a role model. I still remember the coach who walked across the soccer field during the middle of the game to ask a parent not to smoke their cigar on the sidelines.

Some sports you can play your whole life at a relatively high level. Golf is as much a sport as it is a business meeting these days, same for squash and racquetball and tennis. I've had my shot blocked out of bounds by a 65-year-old man on the basketball court, who then proceeded to tell me to "get that weak sh*t outta here."

It's possible to play sports as you get older, sure. For some people it becomes more of a stress reliever than a competition, the ability to forget oneself in the intricacies of an otherwise irrelevant game. There are no scouts at the 8am Sunday old-head game.

It's also sometimes impossible to play sports as you get older. Athleticism, like love, fades. It's natural. The basic skills you used to rely on are now your biggest weaknesses. Fifty year old men can tear their ACL going to get the morning paper, let alone going to get a rebound.

Put your money where your mouth is, it's as simple as that. It's even simpler if you live in Delaware.

But keep in mind the saying, the better the gambler, the worse the man.

These are just four. How do you keep sports a part of your life? Do you?

Let me know what you think