[外電] Having Dad close at hand
Having Dad close at hand
By SEKOU SMITH
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/11/06
Pete Smith and Marvin Williams Sr. take on many forms when
dealing with their sons, Hawks forwards Josh Smith and Marvin
Williams.
They could be asked to be a father, a friend, a confidant or
an adviser. Sometimes they have to be all of them at once.
But what would you do if your son were 19, an NBA rookie and
newly minted millionaire in need of the wisdom and guidance
that only you could provide?
It's a rather unique situation in a league filled with stories
of young and mostly African-American men who have grown up
without fathers in their lives.
"It's been an honor for me to be there for him," said the elder
Williams, who relocated to Atlanta when the Hawks took his son
with the second pick in last June's draft. "Marvin, his mother
and I sat down last year and decided that wherever he ended up
we wanted somebody to be there for him.
"And as a father, your first priority is for them to be taken
care of. And that's why if there is anything he needs, I'm right
there for him."
At most games you can spot the fathers just 10 feet away from
the Hawks bench behind the basket. Most of the time they sit
expressionless, trying to manage the emotions that their sons
let explode with each dunk, deep jumper or blocked shot.
Verbal communication usually isn't necessary during games. All
it takes is a reaffirming look, a nod even, for fathers and sons
to exchange pertinent information.
The Smiths mastered it last season, during Josh's rookie year,
when the Hawks struggled through a 13-69 campaign.
Those trying times were especially tough on Josh, who has had to
deal with the added pressure of playing before a hometown crowd
41 nights a year.
"Sometimes I want to throw my headband in the crowd when I'm
frustrated, and I look at him and he gives me a hand signal
and I can check myself," said Josh Smith, now 20 and flourishing
in his sophomore season. "I know if my dad wasn't around, people
would think I had a temper problem, but I don't. It's just me
being frustrated sometimes.
"But that's why I love the mess out of my dad. He's there for
me, and has always been there for me. He also takes care of my
8-month-old nephew [Zayshaun] while my sister goes off to school,
and he's doing all that while being the head of our family. He's
done the right things in his life to make sure I could be here
doing the good things I'm doing now."
Pete Smith insists that he and Williams are doing what any
responsible parent would do in the same situation. They just
happen to be doing it with two of Atlanta's high-profile
athletes. Each father's sole employment is seeing to their sons.
"It's so important for me to be here in regards to him becoming
a man," said the elder Smith, 58, who disputed his son's use of
the word "old" when describing him. "He still has a lot to learn.
And it just so happened that God allowed me to be the resource
center he needs.
"The life experiences that Marvin [Sr.] has had, just like mine,
give us an opportunity to try and impart some of that knowledge
on our sons. What higher calling is there for a father?"
Of all the advice Pete Smith has delivered, he said there's one
message he repeats to his son, even now, that he hopes he always
remembers.
"I'm always reminding him that in this lifestyle there are always
people coming your way," Smith said. "And right now, he's earned
something that most people don't earn in a lifetime. That's why
he has to remember that in God you trust, and all others you
polygraph.
"That my sound harsh to some people, but it's the way you have
to be sometimes to protect yourself from people that paint a
pretty picture for you and then show up with something else."
Marvin Williams Sr. has had to learn to walk a similar fine line
when dealing with his son and dealing with his profession.
"There have been some tough times for me because you always want
the very best for your child," the elder Williams said. "Marvin's
had a pretty good life in terms of being around people who have
loved and supported him. But he's been through some things this
year that I think will build his character in the long run."
Like the Smith's, the Williams's live apart — Jr. with two of
his childhood friends who also have relocated to Atlanta — but
close enough to drive to each other's house whenever they feel
the need.
"It's crazy how much I get to see him, and that's a good thing
for me," Williams said of his 41-year-old father. "My dad is
definitely a parent, but he's so cool and down to earth that he
can come around and hang out with me and my guys and there's
nothing awkward about it. He's so cool to be so old.
"And honestly, I don't know what this season would have been
like if I didn't have him around. I'm in a new city in my rookie
year, and he's been there for everything. It's been big for me
in so many ways."
資料來源
http://www.ajc.com/hawks/content/sports/hawks/stories/0311hawks.html
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