College football therapy

Inspiration

By Don Lindsey

After a busy and hectic week, I have arrived at the weekend ready for a rest as I am sure is the case with just about everyone else. With a lazy Saturday ahead of me, I am very much looking forward to a day of not doing much other than watch college football on television.

This has been something that I’ve enjoyed ever since I can remember. As a kid, my parents and I would take a trip to the University of Dayton home games to watch their division three team. When the team was away, we would watch Ohio State football and listen to the U.D game on the radio. With the baseball season coming to an end, my family and I as sports fans were always in front of the T.V or at a game cheering for our favorite teams. It was and still is a great way to blow off some steam after a busy week.

The older I got, the more I got away from watching the games on television like I would have when I was younger. By that time, I was working at the University of Dayton and would go to their football and basketball games regularly, but that was pretty much it as opposed to when I was young, and ESPN was virtually the only channel my television was on. When I left my job, I pretty much would just watch sporting events with friends, family or on special occasions such as the World Series, The NCAA Basketball tournament, etc. It wasn’t until I moved down here a few years back that I started watching sports again and even now I stick to collegiate sports except for Major League Baseball.

While Tammy and the kids aren’t sports enthusiast, my mother and father are and having them here has been great because I now have two people to talk about our favorite teams. It’s nice to have those conversations and to be taken back to different times in my life when we’ve had similar discussions. I guess in that regard, sports act as a time capsule of memories from my childhood. On days like today, something as small as watching an Ohio State football game can open that capsule and send me back to spending time with family and friends back in my home state.

This week for me was a little extra hectic and it wasn’t until I sat down to write this and flipped on a football game that I realized how much I needed the distraction and enjoyment of sport. I’ve written before of my love for sports (last week’s “Little League Lessons” for example) and on busy weeks such as the one I’m coming off of, I tend to forget to slow down and enjoy the things that I love. Using today to spend with my parents, kids and to take care of my wife who’s sick, has allowed me to drop the worries of the week and focus on what’s important while taking it easy at the same time. Add my love for college football in and you have my ideal version of a therapeutic and restful weekend.

Don Lindsey is a follower of Christ, son, husband, father, and a survivor. Originally from Dayton Ohio, and resident of Apopka for six years, Don sees his life as a dedication to his wife, parents, children, and community.