Dear Michelle: My husband watches sports non-stop! I never even knew that some of these sports existed until I started dating him. I don’t feel like I can compete with 24/7 games, matches and tournaments, when I am just one sports-challenged woman. I love him dearly, but don’t want to play a game I can’t win…I need a time out! ~Penalized For Being An Unsportsmanlike Player

Dear Penalized For Being An Unsportsmanlike Player: Believe it or not, we could be on the same team! My wonderful husband came from a family that played and coached many sports teams at a professional level. They eat, breath and consume statistics, facts and talk radio about every player, coach and anything related to them on a daily basis. My husband is the king of sports trivia and would be my lifeline on any game show.

I grew up in a family that never watched or attended any sports events. In fact, until I met my husband, I thought Sunday afternoon golf was the networks’ way of curing insomnia for nappers! But, for those individuals, men and women, who take sports seriously, competing for attention when the game is “on” can be a daunting task. If it was anyone but my true love, I would have forfeited our relationship years ago and taken back control of the remote.

But, because I do love him and want to support his interests and hobbies, I created a win-win game of my very own. It’s called “his time, my time, our time”. When I want to spend some “our time” with my husband, I check with him to see if there is an important sports event coming up and schedule some time to do things that we both enjoy, like going to the movies, out to eat or just spending a leisurely hour in the hot tub talking about whatever we need to discuss.

When I want “my time,” I try to plan it during a time when he is involved in some game or match…I have even peeked long enough at ESPN to know a game is on and suggest it to him, so that I can slip into the garden or over to my sister’s house for tea. But, I never forget about “his time.” I have come to enjoy the look on my husbands’ face when his favorite team scores a goal or runs for a touchdown…and now I know how each sport finds victory. I try to ask questions that will help me to learn more about this strange world of his, but I will never be a die-hard sports fan…and that’s okay.

I look for fun food for him to munch on during his games and stock the fridge with cold drinks. I look for apparel from his favorite teams and try to yell at appropriate times. I no longer begrudge him his football, basketball, volleyball, soccer…and the list goes on and on. I think of “his time” as a gift that I give to him. But, when I want some “our time” during “his time,” I still have a few moves up my sleeve that work every time. Score another one for the romantics!

Michelle Wiginton, Owner of JBF Columbia, Rolla, Jefferson City & St Charles, MO
 

Below are my SPORTS in-laws...all 6-foot PLUS of them! (except my mom-in-love)...I definetly won a lifetime victory with the Wiginton Family!