They were never the one taking the shot. But they were the one who found the shin guard buried in the laundry. Who ran back to the house for your water bottle while you warmed up. Who filled the silence after a tough loss - not always with the right words, but with love that didn’t go anywhere.

They learned to read your face from across the field. To celebrate your effort even when the scoreboard didn’t. To carry your heartbreak in their own quiet way - and still stay strong so you didn’t have to.

They didn’t keep stats. They kept routines, and promises, and your schedule taped to the fridge.

They gave up weekends, sleep, and sometimes their own plans - Not because they had to. Because they wanted to be there. Even when there was just a folding chair, a drizzle, and a hope that you’d find your confidence again.

They weren’t chasing a dream. They were guarding yours.

And somehow, in between the drop-offs and pickups, the pep talks and pizza nights, they taught you what showing up really means.

Let’s celebrate the parents who weren’t in the spotlight - because they were too busy holding the light steady for us.