"I think a role model is a mentor - someone you see on a daily basis, and you learn from them."  

          - Denzel Washington

I’ve always heard the saying,“Be careful what you do or say in front of your kids because you never know what they will pick up from you.”  I’m glad that my kids are picking up some of the positive things that I’m doing in life.  So, I believe it’s very important for me to lead by an example so that my kids will grow up being assets, not liabilities. 

As a photographer, I’m always taking random photos of my kids and shooting photo sessions with them.  However, after doing one particular photo shoot, my kids said, “Daddy, we want to be on RDP Sports.”  For me, that was a great feeling knowing that my kids wanted to be a part of something that I was doing. At first, I honestly didn’t believe them.  After two or three weeks, they asked again about being highlighted on RDP Sports, and at that moment I knew that they were serious.  So, when I told them yes, the expressions on their faces were priceless.  

My daughter wants to be a gymnast and she has been training since the age of four.  Her favorite gymnast is Simone Biles, and of course she loves Georgia Gym Dogs. My wife and I plan to take her to one of the Gym Dogs meets this season.  Our goal is to let her experience the atmosphere of competing at the collegiate level. 

On the other hand, my son wants to be a star football player at UGA. His favorite players are Nick Chubb, Sony Michel, Mecole Hardman, Jr. and DeAndre Swift.  When we are watching the games, I’m always amazed about how much he knows about football.  He attended his first football camp this past summer, and he loved it!  He excels at soccer and basketball as well, but he has a heart for the game of football!
 
My wife and I will continue to encourage them to be the best they can be and put them in the right position to reach their goals and achieve their dreams.  In my wife’s words, “Average is not an option!”

 “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose."

   - Dr. Seuss