If you have seen the movie, “Field of Dreams,” you understand the wonder and magic of uniting baseball with fathers and sons. Playing softball and ministering with the Saints with one of your sons is a pretty special thing. Certainly, way cooler than playing with a bunch of dead White Sox players in the middle of a cornfield in Iowa! On a side note, I’m also fairly sure the ghost White Sox would also beat the daylights out of the historically bad current White Sox but that is for a different article… While there are plenty of special things about taking your kid on a trip, there are also some things to think through… but that's why I write these articles! Here are some of the pros and cons of taking your kid on a Crusade so eat your heart out Kevin Costner!
Pro- They get to do the heavy lifting on the trip
Does that mean that they get to carry the team on the field because they are younger and more athletic? Probably, but it also means that the veteran players can pull rank and make the young bucks carry around the heavy items like sound systems and boxes of literature!
Con- Losing playing time
What if they find out that my son is better than I am? What if this starts costing me some playing time on the trip? What if they just tell me to do the scorebook the entire day and I never see the field? This is an important one to think through if you are considering bringing your kid on a trip. However, if you really need to stop and consider this, you are most likely that dad who insists on beating your kid’s team in church picnic kickball game.
Pro- Having an Automatic Pinch-Runner
Once you hit my age, there are certain things that are inconvenient like mowing the grass, shoveling snow off of a sidewalk, and running the bases in a recreational softball game. Not only can they run the bases for you, but they can also push you around the airport in a wheelchair if and when you get hurt on the trip!
Con- Losing my nickname
Alright, as a dad I have paid for braces, tons of groceries, and a small fortune on car insurance. What if the Crusade team takes my nickname and gives it to my kid? This has actually happened already. My oldest son is an emergency missionary athlete and is affectionately known as Gibby by his friends. Of course, I have to remind him that Gibby is still my nickname, and he is only borrowing it!
Pro- Frank Zeidler or whoever is in charge of the trip is feeding them for a week
I have three boys who range between 17-22. Taking them all out to eat is a big financial decision nowadays. Economically speaking, you can't afford not to send your kid on one of these trips!
Pro- Your kid gets to sit through Crusade devotions
This is a special time to share with your son unless the devotion gets sidetracked into a full-blown dispensationalism vs covenant theology fight!
Con- Your son will complain about being bored once he finds out that phones, Tiktok, and Snapchat aren’t allowed in prison
Ok boomer, your best option is not to drop this news on them until it’s time to get out of the van. Just put on your best Dad face and say “What? No phones! Shocking!”
Now that you know what to expect, go out, have a catch, and get your young athletes signed up for the 2025 upcoming Saints crusades!
