Soul Men

Is the path replicable? Or, was it just dreaming big and or outrageous good fortune that caused the angels to kiss the heads of fathers Earl Woods and Richard Williams.

Retired Army officer and golf fan Earl of course, was the brain caddy for son Tiger. "He taught me so many life lessons on the golf course that I use every day," says The Golfinator.

Coach Richard, on the other hand, is that quintessential riddle wrapped in mystery inside an enigma. Nobody has yet gotten to the heart of his vision, that he and his wife should have two more daughters and that he, having only recently taken up tennis, would make them tennis champions. As he told reporters while at his daughter's tournament in India, "“I am a master planner and I believe that if you have a proper plan you can do what you want. I knew what road my daughters had to take and in the kind of place I come from, there was a bit of a struggle but I always look at the hard times as easy times." Which he can say now, but what if it hadn't worked out?

Not that doubts ever seem to enter into such discussions with some driven dads. For example, Robert Howard is positive his daughters, Ginger and Robbi, will be the Venus and Serena of golf; 50 or so YouTube videos demonstrate the prodigal talents of 3-,4- and 5-year-old club swingers; and Scott Silva picked moved the family from California to France to follow a coach so 6-year-old Jan, who somehow can't yet tie his shoelaces, could pursue dad's (?) dream.

Maybe it will work out for all the dads and kids. Maybe there was nothing unique about the success of Richard and Earl. Or maybe Williams and Woods sold their soul to the devil? Because, for love or maybe fame, there isn't anything a father wouldn't do.

** He didn't give birth to the child, only the dream. **