How Sports Helped Ease My Growing Pains And How Life Seemed To Stop Hurting!

Ever since I was born, I was never forced to do anything. Of course, we had to do chores around the house and other things.

I mean, taking out the trash was always something I have had to do.

One thing I really got into when I was younger was sports. But my mother was not really into sports at all, and my Father was into them but was the kind of fan who watched the rivalry games and nothing more.

I always wanted to play sports as a kid, but I never could because of my parents, which really angered me. I wanted to, but when your parents say no, it means no right?

So I just played with friends and that was pretty much it.

What my parents really wanted me to do was to get into music, so I did. I took violin lessons for a while and that was really my strong point.

Of course, I still always wanted to play sports, but was always turned down by my parents.

Then, one day something happened that is forever scarred into my memory—my dad was killed in a car accident. It really took a tole on my family, and the hardest part was that I was only 11 years old.

My dad always told me that, when he was gone, I had to be the man of the house. Of course, he always came back and I could be a kid again. But this time, he wasn't coming back.

I had to be a man at age 11.

It was hard because I knew I wasn't ready. With that said, I had to grow up and be the man that my mother needed around the house.

After my Dad died, we moved out of our old house. I guess my mother felt she could't really live in the same house at the time.

Of course we moved to a nice house where we still live today.

The one thing that really held everything together for me was sports. Of course, as I mentioned, my dad was a sports fan, but only one that watched rivalry games or something.

I live in Alabama, so he was an Alabama Crimson Tide fan. We watched those games around the house, so naturally I became a Crimson Tide fan, too. It was more to honor my Dad's memory by being an Alabama fan.

If anyone has seen the Crimson Tide play football, you know there has been ups and downs like a Six Flags roller coaster over the years, but you would have to be a true fan to know that.

But I stuck with the team despite all the stuff that went on during those years. But then I realized that, not only was I a sports fan, but that I was just like my dad in other ways, too.

Of course my parents wanted me to be in music, as I previously noted, but my dad played a lot of instruments, so I wanted to play many as well.

So, I taught myself how to play the drums and harmonica. Then I took band in high school and learned how to play the saxophone and read music which helped me learn how to play more instruments.

I have been trying to teach myself how to play the piano for a while, but it is a bit harder than most instruments.

Through it all, I was still a sports fan, and it became more to me than just something my dad liked. It became more of a passion for me.

I started watching more sports,  not just strictly football like before. I started watching baseball and basketball, then of course, soccer was something I liked and got into over time.

I would still play music, and write songs. But then I escaped to watch sports. It was weird that early on in my life sports were something I had to get into, but now they became a passion and an escape for me.

I wanted to play sports still, so I managed to finally get my chance. My mother let me try out for the basketball team.

I didn't make it, but it was the chance I wanted. I guess I was just not good at basketball. I wanted to try out for the football team, but then I suddenly got sick one November.

I could have tried out the next year, but when I got sick, apparently it showed something to doctors and I was banned from playing football.

They really couldn't figure out what was wrong with me.

We all thought it was a stomach virus at the time, when actually it was a gallbladder attack. So, I had to get it removed, which caused other stomach issues.

The chance to play sports then became very slim. I had thousands of tests and medicines forced on me, but after all of that, still nothing was found. To this day I still have no idea what is wrong with me, but I have managed to block out the pain.

One clear escape for me was always and forever will be sports. When I am home, ESPN is on, if I'm not watching a game on another channel.

This passion made me feel better, and I grew to be very opionated about sports, too.

One thing I have always been able to do was write. Even though I was never considered the best writer, I loved to share my opinion.

I am not going to be a writer, but still I love to do it because it gives me a chance to talk about what I love, and give my opinion on it.

Bleacher Report gave me that opportunity, and I thank them for that.

My life has been a huge roller coaster—from my father's death to my sickness to my love for sports.

I don't know what my life is going to be like in the future. I have so many things I want to do, but one thing is for sure: Sports will always be there with me.