A Good Sport: Sage Advice
As a sportscaster for more years than I care to admit, I have covered some amazing athletes — men and women (even animals), who perform amazing physical feats. I thought I had seen it all.
But just a couple of years ago, a player (or should I say play-a) came into my life who has all these jocks beat. A player who throws hard with both the left and right hand, runs fast and stops on a dime, and is strong enough to lift a very heavy medicine ball and, yet, is graceful enough to walk along a skinny plank of wood without falling off.
Who is this amazing person, and why haven’t the Panthers signed this athlete? Well, two reasons. First, I don’t think they have a uniform that would fit … after all, she wears a 3T. Second, I don’t think my wife would sign the release form.
The athlete I speak of is my daughter, Sage, who just turned 3.
There are times in my career when I have had to be in three places at once to cover different stories all happening at the same time. But, at the end of the day, I get the job done — tired, but victorious another story has made its way on the air.
At least I thought I knew what tired was. Then along came Sage. She has rock star curly hair and an attitude to match any diva-athlete. She’s like that bunny in the commercial: She just keeps going and going and going. I’ve realized covering athletes is not nearly as hard (and tiring) as keeping up with a 3-year-old.
Sage has mastered throwing a ball, but that doesn’t mean she throws it to me. If I’m standing west of her, she throws the ball east. When we finish that game, it’s time to play “push the rocking chair really hard against the window.” When I run over to still the chair (and my nerves), I realize Sage has sprinted all the way over to the neighbors’ yard to say hello to their dog. Just as I get over to the kid and the canine, off Sage goes, looking for some sand to jump in. Add to this preparing meals, bathing and potty-training, and you understand why working 12 hours in the office feels like a TV time-out.
Where is my wife? Having an easy day at work. (My wife and I work opposite schedules, so someone is always with Sage.) What I’m saying probably is nothing new to most parents, but it was an eye-opener to me, who once thought hanging with the kids would be a fun and easy way to spend the day.
I was half right. It is fun.
Bruce Snyder and his wife, Charisse, live in South Charlotte with Sage, 3, and her baby brother, Brayden, born just before Thanksgiving.
