This series of first-person stories inspired the award-winning pilot, BALLS:

 

I’m a Dad Who Hates Sports, But My Son Loves Them. Here’s How We Make It Work — The Today Show

My 11-year-old’s life as an obsessive sports fan is taking off and I’m increasingly in his outer circle. But there are still some roles only a father can play.

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A Queer Dad’s Fear of Fumbling — Oprah Daily

To avoid being sidelined, LGBTQ father Bradley Jacobs Sigesmund reconciles himself to the importance of football in his son’s life.

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I Kicked and Screamed as a Soccer Dad, Until I Realized I’ll Miss This One Day — OUT

A gay dad shares his struggles steering his son through the competitive world of NYC youth soccer tryouts—and the hard truths he learned on the sidelines about himself and his fatherhood duties.

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Too Young to Admit I was Gay, Here’s How I Learned to Stop Complaining and Love Summer Camp — USA Today

Outdoorsy and athletic, Lucas wants to maximize the experience and attend camp for all seven weeks: “Dad and Pops, I can’t wait to get to the woods.” Quiet and flabby, I could only bear to attend for a fraction of that: “Mommy, do I really have to go?”

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I’m a Gay Dad. My Son Loves Sports. Here’s How That Unexpectedly Changed My Life — Shondaland

In trading Broadway for baseball, Bradley Jacobs Sigesmund reflects on the welcome by-product of his son’s athleticism: straight male friendships.

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Last Boy Picked: How an Unsporty Gay Dad Connects with his Jock-In-Training Son — Refinery29

Ill-at-ease with athletics while growing up, I was the proverbial Last Boy Picked. Watching Lucas take so easily to sports has opened old wounds and forced me to readdress aspects of myself that I thought I’d come to terms with decades ago.

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My Life Changed When I Went From Gay Man to Gay Dad — Mom.com

The first half-year with our son, Lucas, was rough. But not because of the crying fits, the 3 a.m. diaper changes and the cumbersome stroller — all of that was expected. The much harder part was transitioning to a new me.

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We Love You, “Mommie Dearest”! Top 8 Parenting Tips From Joan Crawford — Logo / NewNowNext

Inspired by Mother’s Day, a gay dad re-examines the melodrama and finds glimpses of meaning amid all the scenery chewing: She’s a single mom struggling to raise a kid … among all the excesses of Hollywood

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Tis The Season … For Stuff Lucas Doesn’t Need — Gays with Kids