Cole is learning about "onward"

(For posterity: this is the first time he's the scoring leader. Okay, it's just one game, but hey, he's very happy!)

Anyone who knows me, knows that I live by two simple principles: own it and onward. Through my life I have learned that I am in the vast minority. Though, I take comfort in the knowledge that being in the majority has nothing to do with being right. Today, I am taking a break to dwell in the positive, a nice break from crushing heartbreak heaped upon my son, to marvel at how resilient my forever-expecting-too-much-hard-on-himself son has been in the last 24-hours.
He's decided that he will take "that motley crew of hockey misfits and turn them into a proud team" and he's "going to prove that teams should be picked for the players not for the parents". Well, good luck with both, buddy. As always, I'll support you all the way.
In an effort to shore up his devastated ego he is putting his words and emotion into action. In the process of a day he has become a completely new and improved, confident, driven and happy boy.

Last night, at his first 3on3 game of the season, at 10:15PM (!!), he scored a division leading 5 goals.

Today, at his second lacrosse game of the season, he scored two goals and had a couple of assists. Not bad for a boy who received his first lacrosse stick earlier this spring.

Pure validation. Cole knows that sport does not define him. It is only a small aspect of his life. But after being crushed by people he respected, sport people, he is using sport to rebuild his ego. There is always room for improvement but the life lessons Cole has experienced since Thursday have been character building and life altering. I am so incredibly proud of him.

There are many lessons to be learned through sport. You can learn good lessons and bad lessons, but most important, you can take bad lessons and learn good things.

Onward.