My daughter (16) has been incredibly interested in the current World Cup - she's been watching every game, even as many as the friendlies, as she can (I think that's right; I don't know too much about this football stuff). She's at the point where she is saying she wants to become a professional player. She has never once expressed any interest in wanting to play the sport; in fact, she even tried to get out of doing PE for a school year by trying to break her leg during a PE lesson and then came home to me saying the lesson was so traumatic that she had a panic attack and she could never do PE again. She was 11 at the time, and fully aware of what she was saying.
I supported her desire to join a club and play the game professionally in the future. She has been playing for the past month and a bit twice a week, once with a trainer and once with the full team.
I want what's best for her, but the sad truth is that she's not very good at it. And it's costing me money. Money that is soon running out. I want what's best for her because she is a bright, talented girl who deserves to do well in life.
She's getting to the age now where I feel like I could talk to her finance about how much money we have disposable. Though I would feel terrible telling her she can't continue playing because of my finances, she has just finished her GCSEs and deserves a reward and taking this away could really upset her.
It's hard because she's not very good. The coaches have told me she needs some extra lessons to catch up since she is joining so late. I have obliged and paid for them. But it pains me, really, to say that if she's not very good at this, she'll drop out because she'll fall behind her peers. She's that type of girl; if she's not one of the best at something, then she'll get bored with it quickly.
Now I have to make the choice no parent ever wants to make. To pick my daughter over financial security. Does she hate me now but love me in the future (cut her off of football so in the future she can pursue something else) or love me now and hate me in future (because I don't have the money to nurture her future interest)?
The one thing I'm certain of is that she loves it. I'll never forget picking her up from her first lesson. She came off the pitch with a bloody nose, stunk worse than my husband's man cave, and the club top I had bought her had been ripped by another player tackling her badly. I was so appalled, shocked, and in disbelief that this was my daughter. But the smile on her face was so unforgettable. I have never felt such pride and love in my life.