A Football Jamboree

Every year, our local football program, called Optimist Football, holds a jamboree down at the University for all of the players. They each play a twelve minute scrimmage on the turf or in the players practice facility. We have attended this event through all four years of Eric playing, two years of Jon playing flag football and now Jon in tackle football and Jake in tackle football. Phew!!! We were down on the campus from 9am until 2pm. The girls were troopers through it all too. They were sound asleep in under a minute once we got back in the car though. We have FOUR football players this year. Plus our own beloved college football games to watch on TV and attend!!!! Our little guy Sam is playing flag football for another league and the two middle boys play for Optimist and Eric is playing for his school this year. They all have different practice times and days so it makes for some crazy scheduling after school is out. They each love it for different reasons.








Eric, being older, is being driven pretty hard in practice and is SORE, SORE, SORE. I think his coach is tough but good. I am grateful for that. He is instilling in them the importance of a whole-hearted effort while enforcing that schoolwork comes first. I am really seeing tremendous growth in Eric and I am so proud of his hard work and his good example to his brothers.

We are still in awe that Jake decided he wanted to play this year. Jake has always been our sports holdout. Never really loving it like the brothers on either end of him. We have never pushed his preferences to be any different. But late last fall, he announced he thought he would like to play next year. We encouraged him in whatever he wanted but also insisted that he really think on it and try to figure out why he wanted to play. For once he committed, there was no quitting half way through. When it came time in late spring to sign up, he was determined. So we signed him up. He was excited to get his gear and began to show a much broader understanding of the game (we were not really sure he was ever paying much attention before) and a desire to be a part of it. And he has impressed us all. He has had two hour practices every day for a few weeks now. They are cut back to 1.5 hours next week. Not one word of complaint. Eagerly getting on his gear, filling up his water jug and enjoying himself. Certainly not the most aggressive on the field, but we wouldn't have it any other way. We are just excited that he wanted to try something new.

Jon lives and breathes the sport. Always has. He has always paid the most attention to specific players and teams. He works HARD out there. And he is only nine. Just nine years old and he's out there tackling and defending and hoping (please, please, please) to be the one to intercept a throw from the opposing quarterback. It is his ultimate goal. He loves being a part of a team.

Sam is well........Sam. So enthusiastic about just about everything he decides to do. I feel fairly certain that he wanted to play because....well, hey, his brothers are doing it right? He has always looked up to his big brothers. He loves being old enough to go to practice and be a 'big kid'. It is a joy to support him because his enthusiasm is infectious. We'll see how a bunch of six and seven year old boys do on the flag football field. Might be a little like herding cats. :-)