Two seasons off of Youth Football and we’re back. Back with wacky schedules, long practices, far commutes, late dinners, and weekends….all dedicated to FOOTBALL. I’m an official football mom who doesn’t know much about Football. This is one of the reasons I went from a Football cheerleader in Jr. High to a Hockey cheerleader in High School.
But thank God for the internet, I went online for a refresher so I know what’s going on from the sidelines.
It’s probably a good idea for this football mom to:
1. Cheer for the right team (no joke, I clapped for the wrong team the last time my boys were in a football league).
2. Understand what the different plays are. This site from Common Football Terms to Know on Dummies.com was very helpful.
3. Know the different positions so I can tell people correctly what position my kid plays. Other than the Quarterback and kicker, the rest look the same to me. If you’re anything like me, check out Mom’s Guide to Football.
4. Remember the boys’ jersey numbers –that’s the only way I can tell them apart from all the other boys on the field.
Anyway, the boys are playing in Pop Warner, a national football league that requires academic aptitude. The application process involved a visit to the doctor’s office for a physical and submission of the latest report card and a nice chunk of cash, not to mention selling raffle tickets.
I personally do not like hitting up friends and family to buy raffle tickets, and because of that we bought all the tickets the boys were required to sell which totaled to a whopping $200 bucks! Each boy had to sell a minimum of $100. Anybody wanna buy a couple of tickets from us? Just kidding.
On a serious note, despite all of the sacrifices that we make for our kids to be in sports, the benefits of being a part of a well organized sports league is extremely rewarding.
We’ve already experienced situations that are helping them to develop character; making for great life skills that will sharpen them as young men and take them into adulthood.
Football is not only a fun and exciting sport but it’s truly teaching them some valuable life lessons (to name a few):
- Sacrifice: Sacrificing time and energy and saying no to other things. Can’t do it all.
- Diligence: Constant effort and perseverance and seeing the results on the field.
- Teamwork. Working together for one common goal. Understanding that there’s no “me” in teamwork.
- Discipline: Keeping their bodies in shape, eating healthy, and saying no to junk (most of the time).
As for this football mom…I’m having a blast watching my boys on the football field. Just don’t ask me to repeat a play, but take photos or video…. No Problem!
Related posts:
