THE EARLY LEAD: Father and son bonding during a CyHawk victory

By BRANDON HURLEY
Managing Editor

news@beeherald.com

My sports viewing reached a satisfying crescendo last week, and it only had a little to do with who I was rooting for. A unique connection forged through a common love.

As I’ve detailed many times before in these very pages, the Iowa Hawkeyes are ingrained in my blood.

I grew up living and dying with each heart-wrenching defeat, every exhilarating victory. Hundreds of hours were spent watching games with my dad, brothers and mom and fellow friends. To this day, the Hurleys usually build their schedules around the Hawkeye sports calendar.

What my most recent years lacked was a Hawkeye connection with my kin. I’ve written about a handful of sports moments with my own dad, but as far as shared experiences in the sporting realm involving my son, those have been extremely rare. Caiden, my 13-year old, seventh grade son, has never wanted anything to do with sports viewing. He hated it, loathed the very thought of wasting several hours watching a ball go back and forth. Don’t get me wrong, he absolutely loves boasting about the Hawkeyes. He’s got plenty of pride in that department, wanting to wear his Iowa gear whenever possible, but he rarely took time to know how and why Iowa had given him the ability to brag. If the final score meant the Hawks were on top, it didn’t matter to him, even if he didn’t see a second.

As some of you may know, my son isn’t that big of a sports guy. The first Iowa football game he attended he asked if we could leave after the first quarter. He passionately told me why he hates football so much.

“It’s so slow,” he animatedly said. “They run 15 yards and then walk to the next play. Then there’s a flag and a fall start. The games are way too long”

He’s got a point, I must say. He clearly doesn’t understand the passion and the violence.

But, in recent years, he’s really gravitated toward basketball, and it’s been a true blessing for this roundball obsessed dad.

Despite his new infatuation, he’d never sat down with me and actively watched an entryway CyHawk game. He begrudgingly endured many before, though trying his hardest to not enjoy any of it.
But last week, something near miraculous happened, though in hindsight, it had been building for quite some time. Caiden was more ecstatic during any sporting event than I’ve ever witnessed. He was hilariously naive and giddy, wanting to brag at any moment possible as the Hawks lead over Iowa State ballooned in the first half.
He told me he was thrilled to wear his Jordan Bohannon jersey to school the next day, ready to ask his Iowa State friends how they liked taking a “Big L,” as he excitedly put it.

I attempted to temper his excitement, filing him in on why this most recent Cy-Hawk victory was so special. Basketball hasn’t been Iowa’s strong suit, and there have been plenty of beat downs and choke jobs throughout my life. I stressed how we needed to cherish last week’s dismantling. He slowly seemed to come around, commenting often how poorly Iowa State looked.
Bh the end of it, Caiden was returning my enthusiastic high fives, reaching a climax when the Hawks closed out last week’s exhilarating triumph with a nasty breakaway dunk.

I loved this moment, something I’d been patiently waiting for for 13 years. I honestly thought it’d never come, which I had surprisngly accepted.

My son found his passion in other areas, specifically in music and video games, which was more than OK with me. Now, he’s also itching to watch basketball games with me. It’s a real treat. I’ve enjoyed attempting to teach him the game of basketball, even if he doesn’t exactly take my knowledge half the time. He still thinks the other-worldly stuff he sees on Xbox is how the game really is played. I’m not LeBron or Steph Curry, so what could I possibly know? But that’s alright, at least we now share my favorite sport together. It’s one of the greatest gifts a dad can receive, bonding over a shared hobby.

He’ll begin his first foray into organized basketball next month when he joins the seventh grade program. I’m excited and nervous. He’s only once been a part of an actual athletic team, when he gave soccer a go back in the third grade. Even though he was a foot taller than everyone on the field, he was easily the least aggressive. He didn’t care much for learning the rules and strategy, either. But, as the years have progressed, Caiden has grown into an intelligent young man, passionate about learning and bettering himself. Success may come slowly on the basketball court, but he’s willing to put in the time, ready to improve in a sport he has grown to love. I’m giddy for the future and to see where basketball takes him.

Contact Us

Jefferson Bee & Herald
Address: 200 N. Wilson St.
Jefferson, IA 50129

Phone:(515) 386-4161