Some of my favorite moments involve sports – either participating, coaching watching, or cartooning. When a famous athlete died, it was always a family member, usually a child of the athlete who wanted a copy of my tribute cartoon.

I love sports. It’s important for team- and character-building. It often builds boys and girls into men and women. Most of America’s CEOs (in fact over 95 percent) played team sports. That’s not just the men, either. Among female CEOs, 90 percent played a team sport.

According to Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, “playing cricket taught me more about working in teams and leadership that has stayed with me throughout my career.”

It can be the most humbling thing and the most exhilarating. I loved playing football, baseball, and running track in high school, but two of my best memories were watching my son win a CIF title and sitting in the stands with my boys watching a baseball game.

I made an effort to see my boys play every game I could. When I found out that one of my sons was rude to an opposing player in the handshake line, my son and I went to the other team’s practice and he apologized to the team and to each player. It was a moment I’m glad I had, even though it hurt my son’s heart. It hurt me to watch the tears streak down his face. In the end, however, he appreciated that moment even though it was painful.

I think a parent attending their kids’ games is an important part of parenting. I cherished watching games with all three of my boys. The right type of “Dad time” can make a big impression as that child turns from a boy to a man or girl into a woman. I recall each time my dad took me to a ball game, because he worked hard those moments were few.  He had little time to single out his children. I remember those moments. Each of them

John Calipari is the men’s basketball coach at Kentucky. He’s won an NCAA Championship and has taken his teams to 6 Final Fours. Like most good coaches, he doesn’t just coach basketball. He coaches life.

He saw a photo of a dad with his young son. Dad was wearing his work clothes, covered in coal dust sitting in the stands with his little boy while Kentucky played its Blue-White game.

Calipari said of the moment:

My family’s American dream started in a Clarksburg, WV coal mine, so this picture hits home.

From what I’ve been told, after his shift, he raced to be with his son & watch our team. Don’t know who this is, but I have tickets for him & his family at Rupp to be treated as VIPs!! pic.twitter.com/a5BJXUnK2v

— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) October 24, 2022

It touched me, and I think it touched millions of other dads (and moms). When you make the effort to be there with your children they never forget those moments. The dad’s name is Michael Joe McGuire and his wife Mollie was a pretty proud mom and wife too. She said on Facebook:

This is my amazing husband Micheal Joe Mcguire! He is an employee of Excel Mining (Alliance Coal) and works hard to provide for our family. It doesn’t matter to him how long he has worked or how hard his day is, he is always there and shows up for our babies! He is the most selfless man ever and always puts his family first! Our babies absolutely adore him and Easton our son tells people he is a coal miner like his daddy… we are beyond blessed and thankful!

It’s pretty certain that the McGuires will be “sitting pretty” at a Kentucky basketball this season, as VIPs. Michael Joe McGuire wasn’t looking for recognition. He was just being a dad.  Michael Joe and Mollie and their children sharing mom and dad time are next up for the McGuires. Pretty awesome.

Good Bless the McGuires and all VIP moms and dads like them.