Are you Ready for some Football???

Each July, we have to begin preparing ourselves for football season.  With football comes long practices three or 4 days a week, Saturdays spent driving to and from the park, heightened emotions when our kids’ abilities are threatened…We’ve experienced it all.  For us to be involved in 5/6 football, there sure is a BIG deal made about Everything!  And this past weekend was no different. 

There is an online forum where parents/coaches can go to make their predictions, ask questions, etc.  Unfortunately though, the Internet gives people confidence that they normally do not have, and therefore they say things that they normally may not.  The problem comes in when you verbally attack a team of 5/6 year olds…Then the claws (we are the Tigers, but there’s no pun intended) come out.  Our fellow 5/6 team was “put down” by another coach, and of course we all took it as a personal attack on our kids.  So our team, the other 5/6 team in the county, played the “attacking” team this past Saturday.   It was one heck of a game, and emotions were so high for our team.  Our little boys played their hearts out this game, as they always do, but unfortunately the other team prevailed…I will refrain from going off on how un-sportsman-like they were, but I will say that when you literally fight your own coaches in the parking lot after the game (that you just won, by the way), there is a problem.  I’m just saying.

Anyway, our little guys fought for every yard, tackled every chance they could, and played one heck of a 5/6 football game.  And even though we lost, and even though it was a heart-breaking loss, we could not be more proud of our kiddos and how well they played.  And a big thank you to the coaches for “manning up” and being the bigger people, and setting a better example for our kids.  Thank you for showing them you were proud without chest-bumping your fellow coach on the middle of the field, and without knocking over the kiddo who scored the touchdown.  We all get into the game, but thank you for having some dignity about it.  I think this picture speaks volumes about what our parents felt for our kids.  At least it does to me.  We could not be more proud.  Russell, way to go Buddy! :)