Growing up, my father and I bonded over sports, and that remains the case today. Following this example, I've tried to use sports as a way to spend more time with my two kids, and I'm glad that I have.

With Father's Day tomorrow, I've thought about how fortunate I've been to share the love of sports and the many benefits they provide with my children. The benefits are many, which include exercise, teamwork, hand-eye coordination, independence, commitment, determination, sportsmanship and having fun.

To me, though, the best part has been spending time together doing something we all enjoy. Whether playing in the yard, coaching one of the kids' teams, taking them to college or pro games or watching sports on TV, we are creating memories while developing common interests that I hope last a lifetime.

Unlike when I was a kid, today's youth have an endless selection of sport options. My kids have some similar and some different interests, and it's been really fun for me to learn about certain sports like gymnastics, skateboarding and bmx from them, as they know more about the fine points of these than I.

I've also exposed my kids to sports that I really enjoy, like basketball, tennis and golf, and it's a real joy to do these things with them. I can remember tagging along with my dad to play golf or softball, things I still remember fondly 30 years later.

One of the great things about sports is that there are always new ones to discover, and new memories to create. There is nothing better than having one of my kids ask me to throw the baseball, football or frisbee; I used to bug my dad to do the same things, and to me it's one of the best parts about being a dad.