Several weeks ago Jackson told us that he doesn’t want to play football again next year. (This was not a surprise. He is far too imaginative and sociable to play a contact sport that requires so much focus.) In the next breath, he said he wanted to try soccer. That’s fine, I told him. But you cannot tackle or touch anyone in soccer.
Until last week, we were aiming for soccer. And then this happened:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_A5DcO7lts]Feeling inspired by Hawkeye, Jackson popped into the library to show me his new moves. The light bulb went off. ARCHERY.
Hand-eye coordination, self control, balance, upper body strength, mental focus… Yes, yes, yes.
I quickly started talking to him about archery as an Olympic sport, as a method for hunting, as a hobby, and then Googled a few videos to watch. We were mostly inspired by the seven year old who loosed arrows at a bullseye and hit the center every time. Jackson was sold.
Lest we jump on a sinking ship, we’re waiting a few weeks to see if his interest in archery continues. If it looks semi-consistent, we’ll buy Jackson a very basic bow and arrow set to see how he handles it.
Personally, I’d love to nurture this interest in archery STAT. My maternal instinct tells me that team sports aren’t a fit for Jackson (for the record, they weren’t, and still aren’t, a fit for me). However, I also need to keep an open mind that another interest may develop in the next week (or month, or year) that is better suited for Jackson’s abilities and talents.
Jeremy, on the other hand, has his sites set on the NFL. As long as he buys his mama a beach house…
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