Who can forget being shuffled on stage by exasperated teachers, thrust in front of a crowd of proud parents and surrounded by a colourful & ridiculous array of props?
Christmas pageants are a childhood tradition that give families a chance to celebrate Christmas and their child's achievements from the schooling year, but unfortunately due to the hectic nature of work schedules these days, not all parents can make it to watch their children perform in these milestone events.
When Baptist Minister Mark Tronson's kids were small, he and his wife Delma would sit with their fidgety younger children and beam with delight as their offspring performed whatever role they were assigned. No matter how tedious the performances, they'd praise their kids for doing such a wonderful job.
It is so important for parents to attend these end-of-year events and when a senior coach from the Australian Institute of Sport South East Queensland realised he'd double booked with respite Chaplain Mark Tronson on school play day, he was immediately concerned.
AIS athlete and coach respite facilities, Basil Sellers Moruya and Basil Sellers Tweed provide rest, relaxation and recuperation. Mark and Delma Tronson developed the Moruya facility over fourteen years before relocating to the Tweed to establish this new respite facility four years ago.
Part of the respite ministry role is for the chaplains to visit the south east Queensland AIS sport units to speak on the value of respite and there are set days in which they devote time to coaches.
Coaches are the unsung heroes in top sport with extremely tight schedules. The demands upon these elite coaches time can make it difficult to co-ordinate appointments. However, when a choice came between the school pageant and the respite meeting, Mark and Delma Tronson saw no contest….school plays win hands down!!
When Mark Tronson was writing this article, his 25 year old son came by and read the script. His son commented on how important it was for him that his parents attended his school performances. When asked why he responded with these points.
• The other parents came and he expected his parents to come too.
• It showed that his parents cared for what he was doing in his life.
• It gave him confidence that his part in the pageant, however minor, was something positive and worthwhile.
Yes, end-of-school performances are vital for parents and their children; much more important than having a chat to the respite chaplains. Attending the school play is respite in itself, so no-matter what else may be planned, make sure your child's school play takes precedence. You can't put a price on memories!