Sporting Gents

Since flexibility is a requirement for dadding, perhaps there should be something like "stretching" exercises required before someone becomes a father?

There are different theories about limbering up but it's generally recommended before participating in a physical activity. And given how flexible dads need to be, particularly when sports are invovled, there really should be something in the preparation to address it.

Not that a dad's physical activity can't include finding motivation from his child. Consider Olympic hopeful Deontay Wilder, who wouldn't be thinking of himself as a future world heavyweight champion if it weren't for daughter Naieya. She has suffered since birth with spina bifida and the 19-year-old papa had to change plans. He dropped out of school, put aside his dreams of NBA or NFL glory, got two jobs and began fighting for two lives.

Changing plans (with a dash of Olympic spicing) also became a touchstone for Noel Jones. The California sports fan was a bit late coming to the daddy party — at 51, with his 44-year-old wife. Obviously, having a child changed his life. But, almost more importantly, it also changed his sports preferences: now he watches synchronized swimming. And watches. And watches. And even appreciates its subtleties (?) as his daughter prepares to head off to Beijing.

And while it is more usual for kids to have to pick up and go because dads have found reemployment, in the case of Alpine Canada CEO Ken Read, his son's success cost him his job. Erik, 17, is too good a skier ... and the rules are that nobody in management can be making decisions that can affect their own, highly accomplished child.

But it will be no problem for him to be flexible and get a new job. After all, he's a dad, which means he has to stretch himself in new ways and to new places on behalf of his kids.