Chalk one up for Team Mom!

A quick story...
My oldest son takes 3 co-op classes on Thursday's. He takes Logic, Honors English and my Biology class. He hasn't been using very good time-management skills lately. All weekend I bug him to get busy with his work and I get told he has it under control. Then Wednesday rolls around and he is spending ALL day trying to get it all done. His regular work ends up taking a back burner. Finally a couple of weeks ago I had had it. Chris told CJ that from now on ALL his co-op work has to be done by Saturday night. CJ did some negotiating that it didn't give enough him time and we changed the deadline Sunday.

CJ has basketball practice 6 days a week. The only day off is Sunday. So this Saturday morning I asked CJ how much of his work he has gotten done from co-op that week. He tried giving me the "don't worry about it...I have until tomorrow to get it done". Translated into Mom-talk means "no, I haven't started it...I will rush tomorrow." After I saw that he didn't even initiate starting his work I decided that he would use the time he SHOULD be at basketball that day to do his work. This decision did not go over very well with him. He did stay home and did his work---mad at me the whole time....and guess what....THAT WAS FINE WITH ME!!! I had warned him time and time again that school work is the priority...not sports. He just pushed it...AND I PUSHED BACK!!

On the Monday he went to practice (because his work was done) and the coach asked why he wasn't there on Saturday. CJ told him his Mom kept him home because of his school work. The coach told him something to the affect of "I know education comes first but your parents need to understand that you have a commitment to the team. If you miss another practice because of that reason you are off the team."

My first reaction......"who the ---- does he think he is!!!!" ok, I thought that, but didn't exactly say that outloud to my son. I basically laughed and told CJ that he better get his work done because if he doesn't it doesn't look he will be playing ball. I didn't really think anymore about this until Wednesday. Wednesday was a mandatory parents meeting for all winter sports parents. The school also sent home a paper for me to fill out saying what class CJ is taking and if he is passing. I called and spoke to the lady who heads up the sports department about both things and when I was at it I mentioned the little incident with the coach telling CJ if I keep him home again for not getting his work done he would be off the team. She informed me this was not true. If I kept him home for not doing work it is the same as a student in school missing practice for tutoring. She thinks the coach doesn't know CJ is homeschooled.

When CJ went to practice that night the head coach of basketball took CJ and his coach aside and explained all this to him. When he came home and told me this all I could think was...."CHALK ONE UP FOR TEAM MOM!!!!"