Chris Peterson Column: Like Christmas, sports can bring family together

This time of year is always special and unless you are Ebenezer Scrooge, it’s hard not to be excited about the holidays.

I love Christmas and I love New Year’s Day; they are two of my favorite holidays and not just because of presents or great food, but more so because they both feature two of my favorite things: family and sports.

It may not be like this in a lot of other households, but in ours, sports and family are joined at the hip. Although some people may not see watching a game as a great family activity, it’s something that brings all of us together.

Whether it’s watching the Green Bay Packers, the official team of the Peterson’s, or watching the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day, family and football are synonymous and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

But it’s more than just football and one of the things I love the most about sports is the way they bring people together.

Sure, I love it when the Packers win. In fact, I care way more than I probably should. Yet, at the end of the day, the best thing about watching Green Bay is that most of the time, I get to do it with my dad, my uncle, Frank, my son, David, my future wife, Emily, my second mom and anyone else who decides to join the festivities.

Even though I may yell irrationally at the television and even though my family probably thinks I am some sort of crazy person, which to be honest, I am when watching my beloved Packers — win or lose — I cherish each and every game we get to watch together.

Despite the fact that the Packers are my favorite team, watching their games is still nothing more than an excuse to spend time together. And we do the same thing with basketball and many other sports. It’s just what we do.

I have been watching games with my dad for as long as I remember and I can even remember back when I did a lot more than watch.

I remember playing catch, shooting hoops and playing one-on-one in the driveway. I remember pretending to play football in my basement and winning imaginary national championships. Watching and playing sports with my dad has always been our shared hobby, and it’s a hobby I’m happy to share with my son.

I meant this column to be about the holidays and I apologize for straying a bit, but it’s all part of the larger picture. During the Christmas season, I feel the urge to look back and be thankful, and this year I am thankful because the best gift I could have gotten has already been given to me.

And no, it isn’t a PlayStation 4 with Madden 2016 (although I wouldn’t say no to that). It is the connection I have developed with my family and, in particular, with my son through sports.

For me, sports have always been second nature. I am not saying I am any good at them, they have just always been around. So shooting, kicking or throwing a ball has always been easy, but for my son, that hasn’t necessarily been the case.

Part of the reason why is that my son is on the autism spectrum; so things like communicating or even playing together, is sometimes challenging. Even though playing sports has sometimes been difficult for him, he has enjoyed them. He loves going to watch the Packers at his grandpa’s house, while proudly sporting his little Aaron Rodgers or Clay Matthews jersey and cheering, “Go Pack Go!”

Yet, the thing I am most thankful for and the greatest gift I will get this year is playing sports with him.

David isn’t too fond of playing catch, and throwing the football around isn’t his favorite, but he loves playing basketball and he loves soccer even more. Just about every day, we get up, have some toast (his favorite breakfast) and kick the ball to each other. We don’t have a goal or a net or anything like that, we just kick the ball back and forth. That may not sound significant to some, but to me, it’s groundbreaking and whether we do it for five or 45 minutes, it’s always a blessing.

And truth be told, having a son with ASD (austism spectrum disorder) has given me a whole new perspective on sports. Winning or losing doesn’t matter so much anymore, it’s more about the bond that we share from playing basketball or soccer or watching our favorite teams play.

Sports have a calming influence on David and they offer an avenue for him and I to engage with each other that wasn’t always there before. I have had a lot of dreams in life and one of them is playing catch with my boy.

And even though we have replaced the glove and baseball, with our feet and a miniature Premier League soccer ball, my heart gets overwhelmed with joy every time he asks to “play soccer with daddy.”

That is the power of sports and in a world that has become so divided, sports are one of the things that still bring us together. Sports, like music, are one of the rare things in the world that acts as a universal language, transcending boundaries and uniting those with racial, cultural, ethic and even religious differences.

In the case of my family, sports have helped transcend autism and the communication barrier that often comes with it.

Sports may not be as important to others as it is to me and my family and that’s OK. I hope you all find a way to spend time with and connect with your loved ones this holiday season, in whatever way, shape or form you please.

I just know that sports have always brought my family closer together, but this year they have more than ever before. I owe a lot to sports and even more so this year because playing them with my son, is a million times better than the coolest gift Santa could ever bring me.