Karen Nazor HillMy four children and two stepchildren grew up playing sports -- swimming, soccer, baseball (additionally, the girls also took ballet lessons). On any given night, with the exception of Sunday, the kids were at a meet, in a game or dancing.
My grandkids are growing up pretty much the same way. Tilleigh, 8, swims, and Evie, 5, plays soccer. William, 2, is too young to play sports, but his day is coming. Tilleigh, though, is doing something none of the Nazor or Hill children did -- she performs in live plays. Tilleigh is an actress and, like most sports, acting requires dedication and, for the most part, teamwork.
Most recently, she acted in "The Big Bad Musical" at the Mountain Arts Community Center on Signal Mountain. It was her sixth play there in the last two years, all under the direction of Colleen Laliberte. And Tilleigh loves it.
I've never been a fan of live theater until now. I guess that's why I never considered getting my children involved in it. Besides, I knew how hard it would be to pursue a career as an actress. Sports, on the other hand, helps you stay in good physical shape, and swimming is an especially good sport because it is something you can do for the rest of your life.
But now that Tilleigh is in theater, I definitely see the benefits. It has given her a new level of confidence. She has no qualms about performing before an audience. She's not hesitant to deliver her lines. As outgoing as I am, I am still a bit nervous when I have to speak before an audience. Not Tilleigh.
Don't get me wrong -- I still believe that participating in sports is crucial for children -- and my family is particularly partial to swimming. Well, perhaps with the exception of my youngest son, Kit, who was -- and still is -- a good swimmer but hated morning swim team practice. He now lives in California and spends most of his free time on the ocean, surfing or fishing.
Tilleigh, thankfully, loves the water and loves to swim. She played soccer for a couple seasons, and she took ballet and twirling lessons for a year. Though she had fun in each of them, she showed no real interest in continuing. She does, though, enjoy acting and swimming and, though the two sometimes overlap, it works out that she can do both.
I'm very proud of my little actress. She made up plays and has recreated scenes from her favorite movies -- "The Wizard of Oz," "Annie," "The Sound of Music," since she was 3.
As a parent, I've always believed that it's up to us to present opportunities to our children, whether it's sports, theater, art, music and more, to let them discover what it is they like to do the most. Then it's up to us to support that interest.
I was never a competitive swimmer, but I introduced the sport to my children. It became a huge part of our lives. So in 2008, when I sat on the boat that paralleled my daughter as she successfully swam the English Channel, I couldn't help but think about her first swim meet when she was 7. I was mighty glad I introduced her to the sport.
So who knows? Maybe one day I'll be sitting in an audience in a theater on Broadway, watching my granddaughter perform. Or maybe I'll be in a boat next to her as she swims the English Channel. Or maybe not.
But whatever Tilleigh chooses to do, I will take great comfort in knowing that she had a fun childhood doing the things she loved the most.
Contact Karen Nazor Hill at khill@timesfreepress.com or 757-6396.