Saved by Sports: Coping with my father’s addiction
My name is Noah. I am a registered nurse with experience in emergency care, behavioral health, substance abuse, detox, and addiction. My father struggled with mental health and addiction issues during a portion of my childhood. I have learned a great deal from my experiences as a child, dealing with the aftermath, and growing into the person I am today.
Early on in life, I learned of my father’s struggles with heroin and mental health issues. I was also introduced to sports. My love for sports blossomed immediately and my disdain towards my father’s struggle grew deeply inside me. It took me years of practice and soul searching to come to terms with the trauma that I was exposed to on a daily basis.
My father is one of the first people to introduce me to sports and I am forever grateful. At an early age we formed a special bond attending local sporting events in the Lehigh Valley, cheering on the Phillies at Veterans Stadium, and watching professional football and baseball on TV. Aside from being a spectator, my father pushed us to play a multitude of sports at an early age: co-ed soccer, baseball, basketball, football, pool, ping pong, and tennis to name a few. I was not always fond of leaving home, but with the encouragement of my family and the excitement on the field, I ended up falling in love. His involvement and introduction to athletics are some of my fondest memories growing up.
Oftentimes children living in a household with parents who have addiction and mental health conditions can feel like they are to blame or at fault for some of the behaviors the parent is demonstrating. This sentiment is echoed within the Seven C’s, a framework used throughout Camp Mariposa programming:
“I didn’t CAUSE it. I can’t CONTROL it. I can’t CURE it. BUT, I can take CARE of myself, by COMMUNICATING my feelings, making good CHOICES, and CELEBRATING myself.”
When I think about the Seven C’s in my own life, they relate to the following:
- I didn’t cause it. I felt a lot of anger, shame and resentment towards my father during these times. Elevating myself through sports allowed me to feel genuine self worth, a sense of pride, ownership and a release of my anger. Athletics gave me an essential avenue to excel in a world that I needed more than I could have ever known at the time.
- I can’t control it and I can’t cure it. Playing on a team gave me a sense of control in my life that I never had experienced before. My actions on the court and on the field had consequences and results that I was responsible for. This allowed me to channel my energy in return for fulfillment, satisfaction, and release. Through organized sports I developed positive routines and habits.
- I can take care of myself and make good choices. Attending mandatory scheduled practice, maintaining a GPA of 3.0 and participating in team activities allowed me to excel on and off the court. Structure and sportsmanship provided a beautiful framework for my personal growth and development.
Sports functioned and continue to function today as a positive outlet and opportunity to compete, put forth maximum effort, reap the benefits, and be a part of a team. The discipline and confidence that I developed on the court are the most important qualities that I carry with me in everyday life.
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