I Don't HAVE To Go To School ... I'm Going To Play Basketball In The NBA!

Apparently, that's what my son told my ex, one weekend last month when he was with him.

At the time, Alec found himself punished just before report cards came out, because he hadn't been putting his 'all' into his schoolwork. Because of it, he lost his PSP and his IPOD privileges.

We go through this EVERY year. First quarter always starts off slow. He slacks off. Gets punished. Then his work improves for the rest of the year.

He's not an A student. He COULD be ... but I've been told EVERY year what I know my own Mother was told every year "He's smart! He's capable. There's no reason he couldn't be an A student, he just doesn't apply himself like he could".

Yup. Carbon copy of me when it comes to school.

However, his dad told me that when he and Alec were discussing his schoolwork, and how he had to start trying harder, Alec's reply was - "I Don't Have To Go To School ... I'm Going To Play Basketball In The NBA!"

Uh ... WHAT?

Forget the polite 'pardon me' - I'm going straight to the 'WHAT'?

Yeah. As far as this Mama was concerned ... those were Fightin' Words!!!!

So I asked my boy a few nights later, "And just how do you expect to get to the NBA?"

I could see his 12yr old brain working, looking for the right answer.

He came back with, "I'll get a drive!"

While desperately trying to contain the sudden burst of laughter, I tried again.

"No, no, that's not what I mean. I mean how are you going to get the scouts from the NBA to see you, to notice how well you play?"

"I'll just call them and tell them and then go play for them."

I could see it was now time to haul out the big guns and burst his bubble.

"Alec, if you want to play for the NBA, you HAVE to go to school. When you play high school basketball, the university scouts will look at you if you're any good.

And, if you're REALLY good, you might even get a Basketball Scholarship to go to school.

Only then, if you're an ABSOLUTELY AWESOME player in University, then the NBA scouts will come out to see you. THAT'S where they find their players. Playing SCHOOL ball!!!!"

**I have no idea if that's really how it works, but it was working for me at the moment so I was going with it!**

Alec thought about it for a second, so I drove the point home further.

"No school. No scouts. No ball."

With a resigned look, he said "So I guess that means I'm going to school tomorrow huh?"

"You do if you ever want to be a professional basketball player".

Not only did he go to school, but this was his BEST first term report card ever!

I have no idea what this next term and report will bring, and I have no idea if he'll ever make it into the NBA. But if basketball is enough motivation for him to do well in school, well, then ... I'm using and promoting whatever works!

Now, I've just got to figure out how to get Adam to realize he really DOESN'T want to be a professional WRESTLER in the WWE, who ALSO plays in the NBA when he grows up!

What happened to Doctors, or Teachers, or Bankers.

Sigh. Oh no. Not MY boys!

Keeps things interesting though ;-)

K.