"Well I like school... and I like football... and I'm gonna keep doin' 'em both because they make me feel good."
I was going to write about another subject tonight, and in fact I had already written the whole entry in addition to what follows. It was just a horrible subject that I was going to talk about and I do not feel like going on a rant about what a particularly horrible man did to this little girl. IT is a horrible thing to dwell upon. If you read this blog, I want you to know I will always remember your story and I will watch over and listen to everything my little girl tells me.
Now on to something happy and joyful… that time of year has returned!
It is an exciting time of the year; it is the end of summer. I hate to see the end of summer approaching because soon the hot weather will leave (thankfully in the South I have several more months before it really goes away), but with the end of summer comes FOOTBALL.
That’s right folks, football has arrived and it is not just a sport, but a religion in the South. Thursday nights its JV Football, Friday nights its Varsity Football, Saturday it is Recreation League Football, then College ball and Sunday & Monday, professional football.
NOTE: For all you folks who might wind up because I have used the word FOOTBALL and you are looking for that other sport people play because they cannot play real FOOTBALL, you seriously need to go somewhere else. I am blogging about hitting, tackling, rushing, passing, catching and not just about kicking. No… I am talking about football that lends itself to kicking ass!
God has blessed us with this great sport of football for all of us to enjoy from the beginning of the weekend till the end with football warm up and warm-downs on Thursday and Monday nights. Oh Halleluiah!
Our son has started his first week of practice and will shortly start their first night of pads Thursday night! Yes, I am enthusiastic and yes I am almost as excited as my son. My in-laws have even bought our daughter a nice cheerleading uniform with colors to match my son’s team and mascot. Last year my son was on a team like he will never be on again, they remained un-scored upon until they met up with a team in the semi finals of the championship where they got spanked pretty well during the game. They had a magic season. My son wants revenge upon that team because that is now twice, the same team has prevented his team form making it to the county championship. Yes, bitter football rivalries made at this early age. In fact you ask, how old is your son, well he is eleven and is in his fifth season of play. He has as much experience as some High School seniors at this point.
Please understand, we are not one of those families that live vicariously through their children, we just like football. When he was seven, my son wanted to play a team sport. We gave him the choice between hockey, which he enjoys a great deal, and football, for which he now looks forward to, as soon as that year’s season is done. But you see we live in the South and this is football country. There are people who keep up with High School games like they were college or professional teams. Some small towns live and die by football. Kids are educated by football and are able to leave their small towns to be something bigger and get an education so they do not have to go back to those small towns if they choose..
If you have seen Friday Night Lights, or Remember the Titans, or Radio or any movie about football in the South, they are generally correct about how this game is revered. Soon the nights and mornings will get crisp, and boys will be into the middle of their season. They will be working hard to get to their championship games. And whether they are undefeated or have not won a single game (and both have happened to teams our son has been a part of) one thing is for sure. These boys never give up. They love the game, they live to play the game, they play it like a game. Mind you they want to win, but mostly they want to play the game and whether they have a crowd or not, right now, their field of play is just that, a place they can play a game and enjoy themselves.
Soon, they will play the game not just because they love it, but because they love the adoration and that is when a good player turns great. When they recognize adoration and they receive the feedback from those other than their parents and families, the boys want to become stars. My son is approaching that age. Soon, he will want to become a star, and will play because he loves the game and because he will be the game. This is the time when those children who will go on to play on the High School team will know what it means to win and play for the fans. And soon these boys will know they are gladiators and strive to win for themselves and their school. Because when they are in high school, they are no longer playing for themselves or the adoration of their parents. They will be playing and competing and battling for the pride of something greater than them, but as a team they will battle for their school.
It is a wonderful thing to watch my son grow up playing this sport because he started out being this little kid who had these big pads on, and big helmet who knew what football was, but wasn’t sure how to play. Today he is this playful kid, who straps on his equipment and just loves to play the game for the game’s sake. These next two years will be some of the best football I will ever get to see from him because it will be not just a sport but a game he understands and will enjoy playing.
I still look forward to him playing for many years to come of course, because he will want to be a star. I hope that he will be able to achieve that aspiration if he continues to play, but for now I want to enjoy his love for the game.
Now on to something happy and joyful… that time of year has returned!
It is an exciting time of the year; it is the end of summer. I hate to see the end of summer approaching because soon the hot weather will leave (thankfully in the South I have several more months before it really goes away), but with the end of summer comes FOOTBALL.
That’s right folks, football has arrived and it is not just a sport, but a religion in the South. Thursday nights its JV Football, Friday nights its Varsity Football, Saturday it is Recreation League Football, then College ball and Sunday & Monday, professional football.
NOTE: For all you folks who might wind up because I have used the word FOOTBALL and you are looking for that other sport people play because they cannot play real FOOTBALL, you seriously need to go somewhere else. I am blogging about hitting, tackling, rushing, passing, catching and not just about kicking. No… I am talking about football that lends itself to kicking ass!
God has blessed us with this great sport of football for all of us to enjoy from the beginning of the weekend till the end with football warm up and warm-downs on Thursday and Monday nights. Oh Halleluiah!
Our son has started his first week of practice and will shortly start their first night of pads Thursday night! Yes, I am enthusiastic and yes I am almost as excited as my son. My in-laws have even bought our daughter a nice cheerleading uniform with colors to match my son’s team and mascot. Last year my son was on a team like he will never be on again, they remained un-scored upon until they met up with a team in the semi finals of the championship where they got spanked pretty well during the game. They had a magic season. My son wants revenge upon that team because that is now twice, the same team has prevented his team form making it to the county championship. Yes, bitter football rivalries made at this early age. In fact you ask, how old is your son, well he is eleven and is in his fifth season of play. He has as much experience as some High School seniors at this point.
Please understand, we are not one of those families that live vicariously through their children, we just like football. When he was seven, my son wanted to play a team sport. We gave him the choice between hockey, which he enjoys a great deal, and football, for which he now looks forward to, as soon as that year’s season is done. But you see we live in the South and this is football country. There are people who keep up with High School games like they were college or professional teams. Some small towns live and die by football. Kids are educated by football and are able to leave their small towns to be something bigger and get an education so they do not have to go back to those small towns if they choose..
If you have seen Friday Night Lights, or Remember the Titans, or Radio or any movie about football in the South, they are generally correct about how this game is revered. Soon the nights and mornings will get crisp, and boys will be into the middle of their season. They will be working hard to get to their championship games. And whether they are undefeated or have not won a single game (and both have happened to teams our son has been a part of) one thing is for sure. These boys never give up. They love the game, they live to play the game, they play it like a game. Mind you they want to win, but mostly they want to play the game and whether they have a crowd or not, right now, their field of play is just that, a place they can play a game and enjoy themselves.
Soon, they will play the game not just because they love it, but because they love the adoration and that is when a good player turns great. When they recognize adoration and they receive the feedback from those other than their parents and families, the boys want to become stars. My son is approaching that age. Soon, he will want to become a star, and will play because he loves the game and because he will be the game. This is the time when those children who will go on to play on the High School team will know what it means to win and play for the fans. And soon these boys will know they are gladiators and strive to win for themselves and their school. Because when they are in high school, they are no longer playing for themselves or the adoration of their parents. They will be playing and competing and battling for the pride of something greater than them, but as a team they will battle for their school.
It is a wonderful thing to watch my son grow up playing this sport because he started out being this little kid who had these big pads on, and big helmet who knew what football was, but wasn’t sure how to play. Today he is this playful kid, who straps on his equipment and just loves to play the game for the game’s sake. These next two years will be some of the best football I will ever get to see from him because it will be not just a sport but a game he understands and will enjoy playing.
I still look forward to him playing for many years to come of course, because he will want to be a star. I hope that he will be able to achieve that aspiration if he continues to play, but for now I want to enjoy his love for the game.
posted by Just Call Me Jay at 6:32 AM
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