By: Paul Morrone
Sports were always a big part of my life and those that have seen my office or basement at home will attest to some of the photos and memorabilia that I’ve had on display over the years. The natural progression has been to involve my kids in sports as well by letting them enjoy all aspects of being a sports fan. That means playing, watching and even analyzing the game, complete with screams of joy and sighs of frustration as a tight game unfolds. From a team loyalty standpoint, I’m confident that we’ve created two lifetime UCONN Basketball fans, and some of the kids’ best memories to date are going up to Hartford or Storrs for a weekend game.
UCONN was just starting out their hot streak under Jim Calhoun as I was growing up, and I vividly remember the team’s first national championship in 1999. From there, I’ve been lucky enough to follow the team through one of the most historic runs in NCAA history and having the boys along for the ride for the last two years has been nothing short of amazing. They know the coaching staff, the players, their strengths and weaknesses, and their Big East opponents better than most. None of this is to discount the UCONN women, who also regularly appear on our TV throughout the week.
Game night has turned into somewhat of a tradition. The kids will put on their gear and take their spots on the couch (which they will stay in for all of 5 minutes before someone is jumping around). They’ll get some popcorn or candy and settle in as the national anthem starts. Many of the weeknight games start late, and we often let the boys stay up until at least the end of the first half to catch as much of the game as they can without us having to pay for it the next day. The best part is in the morning when we wake them up. Even before they open their eyes, the first thing out of their mouth is ‘did UCONN win?!’
It’s been fun to have both boys take a genuine interest in something that I enjoy so much and we’re fortunate to be able to easily go to a game given the convenience of going to Hartford (as compared to NYC or Boston). The kids are great at the games and enjoy the music, atmosphere and game as much as anyone in the building. It’s even better now that they understand what is actually going and you can see them react with the crowd when an untimely foul is called or a big 3-point shot is hit. As we enter March Madness, things will only get crazier before they slow down. Rest assured, Kyle and Ryan will be wearing their jerseys with pride.
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