tall Ty Vickery, who remains out of contract and looks destined for a free-agent move to Hawthorn.His signing continues a flurry of activity at the club since a disappoint

Your kids might be elite competitive athletes. Or maybe you just want them to be. They could be your average rec-league player, part of the team with their neighborhood pals. They could be a nonathlete. Regardless, the essence of sports -- for all of them -- likely emerges later this week.Someone will nominate a place and time, and everyone will convene for an impromptu (or improbably annual) touch-football game, the Turkey Bowl.Why is this moment the essence of sports for the kids (and, frankly, the adults, too)?The motivation is to have fun. Yes, even with That Parent who takes it all too seriously. Trick plays, trash talk and end zone dances are not only OK but encouraged.It is competitive, sure, but also inclusive. The best athletes on the field rarely begrudge the plays run to make sure the least-accomplished athletes on the field get a chance for Turkey glory.Three words: Two-hand touch. The risk of injury is always there (especially with the adults -- watch those hamstrings, friends!), but it is incidental, rather than built into the game.The rules are ... the rules. Thanksgiving football might be universally appealing, but the real joy is in the customization on every field, backyard and street in the country. And, mostly, the rules are constructed to boost the friendly nature of the game. (See the terrific series by the Wall Street Journals Jason Gay.) Beyond an essential friendliness, improvisation and innovation are great lessons for the younger players.Play for the sake of play. No scholarship on the line. No AAU tournament trophy. No all-star status. No tryouts or cuts. Aside from That Parent, no one really remembers the outcome. (A wacky or what-a-play! moment? Absolutely -- and hopefully!) The bragging rights extend through the weekend -- maybe to the following years game -- but thats as far as it goes.There is a reason your kids look forward to that Thanksgiving touch-football game, and it has very little to do with the reasons you dwell on their sports career throughout the rest of the year. Intensity over your kids youth sports career is your prerogative, of course. But dont forget to enjoy -- and let the kids enjoy -- the unfettered fun of the annual Thanksgiving game this week.In that vein, here are a few other things Im thankful for this year:Volunteer coaches, always.The epiphany of my kids team getting obliterated.Jessie Graff and American Ninja Warrior.My 7-year-old picking Villanova on his bracket. Sigh.Layup-line music for 10-year-olds. (2017 sneak peek: Juju On That Beat, obvs.)Camp Dad.Letting your kid pick their own sports heroes. (Or, at the very least, nudging them toward sports heroes who arent necessarily on the field.)Aly Raismans parents, and all parents of Olympians.The brief, brilliant moment of the ultimate Daaad shoe -- those Curry 2s.As a sports-focused parent, what are you thankful for this year? Join me in a conversation, and add your ideas at espnWs Facebook page.Jordan 17 Shoes For Sale .C. Lions has come to an end. Banks told TSN on Jan 2 that he had no interest in playing out the option year of his contract with the Lions in 2014, and he again made that clear in a conversation with Lions GM Wally Buono last week. Air Jordan Retro 8 For Sale . Bradwell was scheduled to become a free agent Tuesday. Born and raised in Toronto, Bradwell is entering his sixth CFL season, with all six played for his hometown Argonauts. http://www.jordanshoescheapsale.com/jordan-proto-react-for-sale.html . Fellow centre Pavel Datsyuk remains out because of a concussion. Zetterberg has 11 goals and 19 assists for a team-high 30 points, and Datsyuk has a team-high 12 goals and 11 assists. Wholesale Air Jordan 9 . It was the second consecutive win for the Pacers (2-5), who lost their first five preseason games. Jeff Teague led the Hawks (1-5) with 17 points and eight assists and Al Horford had 12 points and seven rebounds. Mike Scott scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half. Jordan Retro 17 For Sale . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over .Richmonds busy off-season has continued with the Tigers signing key forward Ben Griffiths to an AFL contract extension.The club announced on Friday that the 24-year-old had agreed to a new two-year deal that tied him to Punt Road until the end of the 2018 season.The Tigers appear to have chosen to go with Griffiths over fellow tall Ty Vickery, who remains out of contract and looks destined for a free-agent move to Hawthorn.His signing continues a flurry of activity at the club since a disappointing 13th-placed finish to their season.The Tigers have already announced Liam McBean and Adam Marcon will be delisted, while Troy Chaplin and Reece McKenzie have retired.Former first-round draft picks Reece Conca and Ben Lennon will test the trade market but, in better news, Gold Coast star Dion Prestia has officially nominated Richmond as his preferreed destination during the trade period.dddddddddddd.Ben has all the attributes of a powerful key forward, and weve seen how valuable he can be in some of his performances this season, Tigers football boss Dan Richardson said of Griffiths.Were looking forward to Ben taking his game to another level next season and beyond.Griffiths has played 61 games since the Tigers selection of him as 19th overall at the 2009 draft.Other players to sign new deals with the club in recent weeks include Shaun Hampson, Sam Lloyd, Oleg Markov, David Astbury, Shaun Grigg and Bachar Houli.Three assistant coaches, including former Port Adelaide premiership mentor Mark Williams, were told this week they would not be offered new contracts. 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