Reese the Glover

My grandson, Reese is three years old and adorably cute. He is tall for his age and loves sports. At a very early age he was throwing all sorts of balls. At just over two he could be found, shooting hoops.....not just for a short time but for as long as 20 minutes. His attention span for sports amazed even his highly trained, teacher mother, Amy. Reese not only loves all sports but he studies them. He pays attention to the differences in balls. He knows all the equipment needed in soccer (perhaps because his father, Erik has a soccer bias and has influenced him) and he loves to watch them. Recently he has been paying attention to baseball. He likes to swing the bat and throw the ball and especially he loves to catch the ball with his glove. After one session of throwing the ball back and forth with his Mom, he announced, "Mom, I am going to be a glover." Of course he meant a catcher but even when corrected he thinks glover is the way to describe the guy or gal who catches the ball. In our family, sports are big. My father (Reese's great grandfather, Duane Berentson), was a basketball player and basketball coach. Reese's Dad was a soccer player and a soccer coach. Reese's sister, Hope is a soccer player and just this last weekend served her team as keeper or goalie. Perhaps the love of sports is genetic or perhaps it is nurtured into young children and it is likely that both nature and nurture play similar roles...but Reese is a child that interprets life most easily with a ball in his hands. It is said that people learn much about life while participating in sports. Reese John Freeman Hanson, three years old and growing is already building those experiences and memories that will serve him well in the years to come.