[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

I think I am very well qualified to comment about this subject at this time.

Our sons are 14 (freshmen in H.S.) and 11 (6th grade) and both started taking swimming lessons when they were about 9 mon. old at the YMCA and they started playing team sports in the YMCA with pre-school basketball and added baseball when they entered elementary school. When they were in 2nd grade they started swimming for the Toledo YMCA Swim Team. When they turned 9 yrs old they started playing Toledo Park & Rec. basketball and baseball. The 11 yr old started playing football when 9 yrs old. Now that our older son is in H.S. he has stopped playing basketball (even though I think he would have made the freshmen team) to concentrate on swimming and baseball.

I do plan my officiating schedule, for the most part, around their basketball, baseball, and football games, as well as their swimming meets. Since I make every effort to schedule around the games and meets they have a different take on my officiating. They look upon my officiating as the same as them competing in their games and they have told me many times to go officiate. I have probably seen well over 99% of their basketball games, 90% of their baseball games, 100% of our younger son's football games, and over half of their swim meets. My scheduling of games around sporting events also applies to their school events such as band concerts, plays and other school functions.

My advice is this: family comes first. Children grow up too fast, which means that parents grow old sooner than they expected they would.