Nature vs. Nurture… is my son drawn to sports due to his genetics… or due to the exposure?

At first glance one might assume that Ryland is watching one of his FATHER’s regularly watched TV programs on his favorite network, ESPN. But let me assure you that he is not. Ryland is watching one of his MOTHER’s favorite TV programs on ESPN… “Around the Horn”.

I came into my marriage having never CHOSEN to watch ESPN. But through repeated exposure… (no, let me revise that to… constant exposure) I have come to know and love all things ESPN.  I try to watch “Around the Horn” daily. I began my love for this show when Jay Mariotti and Woody Page were racing to reach 100 wins. I always root for Jay… and I always root against Woody. Unfortunately my son is exposed not only to the intelligent ramblings of Jay, but also to the idiotic spoutings of that bafoon Woody Page. As you can see in the picture above, he is captivated by the nonsensicle arguments of Woody… I am ashamed to have exposed my son to such utter stupidity.  

But back to the point… The love of all things athletic was not something I was raised to have. I naturally enjoy competition. I played AYSO soccer in my early elementary years…. but I really hated running so that didn’t last very long. As I got older I was encouraged to play sports and enjoyed practicing (I would say playing, but I was a natural bench-rider throughout my HS years). Sports were never a passion for me until I was nurtured into loving them through Soper High School’s sports focused atmosphere… and a husband who loves them passionately. Somehow I think that I was created to love sports, it just took a while to get over my aversion to running.

I desire to see my son grow to share this love with both Ryan and I. He will certainly be exposed and offered every opportunity to learn and develop through sports teams, and competitions. He will also be exposed to many cultural, musical, and academic activities. It is “in the cards” for Ryland to be the point guard on his basketball team, act in numerous high school plays and musicals, sing and play guitar in a worship band, and end up being a minister. None of those things will surprise or (more important) disappoint me. However, I know the possibilities for Ryland are vast. So… Ryan and I will require none of our preconceived notions of what Ryland could be, but we will instead trust the God (who created athletics, academics, and art) to shape Ryland’s passions. 

So to conclude my present thoughts on the nature/nurture debate, you can add me to the list of fence-riders. You cannot separate them. God does whatever He wants with whomever He wants. Not one of us can escape our genetics, our heritage, or our environment. It is a beautiful collision of elements set into motion by The Author of this great Story.