The first annual Boyz2Men Fathers/Father Figures and Sons’ Dominoes tournament wrapped up on Monday, 14 Nov., with some dads coming away with a stronger connection with their offspring.
For Donald McLaughlin, it was the first time he had ever played dominos with his 15-year-old son Brandon.
Speaking with the Cayman Compass after the event, held inside the John Gray High School cafeteria, McLaughlin said while his competitive nature started to show, he understands it was all a learning experience for his boy.
“That was the first time I’d played dominoes with him, but we’ve gone fishing,” McLaughlin said. “[Brandon] wasn’t paying attention. Dominoes takes a lot of attention; you have to pay attention to the game. It was good, but it was a learning experience.”
Brandon admitted that after they missed out on competing in the finals, having lost three out of five games, that he was to blame.
“At first it was stressful because we were winning and stuff, but then I kept blocking the game,” Brandon told the Compass. “My dad was upset because I was making us lose, but it was okay, we had fun. I wish we could’ve made it to the finals but it’s whatever.”
Despite their competitive nature, it was evident after that the pair had engaged in a meaningful activity, with McLaughlin adding that he loves and respects his son.
“I’m happy and I’m proud,” he said. “I care for all of my sons; I show them love and I respect them. Most fathers do not understand that your children cannot respect you if you do not respect them. If my kids do something wrong, I deal with it, but I don’t cross the line.”
McLaughlin and his son were among 56 other participants taking part in the Boyz2Men event, which featured teammates Kesly Ebanks and Joseph Hydes winning the finals.
Boyz2Men founder Christopher Murray told the Compass that the event was a success, and he hopes fathers will see the importance of building a relationship with their kids.
“For the first one, it was very encouraging,” Murray said.
“I think it’s priceless to have fathers and sons finding a sense of bonding… where they can see their true personalities, their true passions coming out. It has always been said that fathers help provide a definition for sons, and so having this kind of event is a bridge building and it’s unquestionably very meaningful to have an event of this nature.”
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