My ex and I were known to the local high school teachers (through our own kids) and someone told us they loved hearing us cheer for single parent or working parents kids on the teams. We Never did this for recognition, my ex did this because her parents were never there for her. My ex… was loud, So you heard her screaming “go Johnny!!!!!” From the sideline at all parts of the field. We were sideline parents to any kids who needed it.

We are recently divorced and our kids are well into adulthood, but I still get an occasional text “hey, game on Friday at 2, mind cheering for #14 Sara?” And go figure, my ex is there too, cheering her on. And more recently, my oldest started to join because “you guys made a difference to several friends that needed that boost”. So, tradition?

You can have more than one parent, even if it’s only for 90 minutes a week.