A sport season that requires 2 separate posts is a new thing around here. Football lasted almost 5 months and they were some pretty intense months. Anderson has loved every single minute of being on this team: playing with friends, learning about teamwork, getting tackled, getting back up again, running into the end zone, learning from mistakes, making more mistakes, playing in every kind of weather possible and focusing all of his intensity into his favorite thing in the world.
I have, of course, loved every minute of watching this kid become a part of his team. Anderson does have a natural athletic ability which paid off well, but tackle football is not a sport that you can just fall into excelling. He stayed incredibly committed and held himself to very high expectations. I am fully aware that it was a youth sport season and their season does not dictate success in life, but the skills of perseverance, utilizing your strengths, working with a team and holding yourself to the highest standard will help him in life and I am grateful that there might some kind of long term effect from our empty bank account and exhaustion.
In addition to all of those positives, we.are.exhausted. Multiple weeks of 3 nights a week practice & weekend games in all of those aforementioned weathers, trying to keep up with the immediate need for laundry at 9pm so he can have it for practice the next day, driving all over creation and dragging the 4 year old* through it all has left me ready for a indoor sport season with a shorter equipment list.
*Shout out to the grandmas for assisting quite a bit with Max so that his life was not completely tied up in his older brother's obsession.
By default, I became the mom who organized all of the things. (I am my mother; there is no denying it.) Because let's be honest, adding the creation of snack lists and the coordination of matching socks was exactly what I needed on my to-do list. I did actually enjoy it, though.
We all got matching hoodies and to say Anderson loves his is the understatement of the year. It is a good thing I do laundry daily because that thing has already been washed a dozen times.
A mom took some awesome pics at one of their bowl games.
In addition to running back, Anderson also played safety. There were a few times where a player would get break away and watching Anderson catch up and bring him down took all of my vocal cords from the cheering.
On that note, I am that Mom. I mean, no surprises there, I realize. I lost my voice at almost every game because I was either cheering for the Admirals on every play or yelling passive aggressive things at the other team's parents who BROUGHT COW BELLS TO THE GAME. Anyone who has ever met me is not surprised at any of these statements.
I love all of these.
I just want to yell, THAT IS MY BABY!!!!
His little team. I mean, I just cannot get enough.
They played in a bowl one Saturday and we sat there all day in the mud.
These are the moments of my new parenting world, I realize.
He was filthy.
His team worked so, so hard this season. They learned about positions, plays, how to tackle, how to be tackled, how to play kids twice your size and, most importantly, how to not give up. They ended up 2nd place in their league, losing to a travel team of kids that are taller than me. Watching those babies play against those grown men definitely made me lose my voice again. It basically took their entire team to bring down one player, but they hung in there longer than any other team had and I was proud of them.
Anderson was incredibly disappointed about 2nd place and I think that bittersweet feeling of 2nd place has officially confirmed his continued commitment to playing football next year.
I cannot stress enough what an amazing Football Dad I married. The details, the equipment, the understanding of the game, the high expectations, the driving to practices and games....all of the things that I never, ever knew to look for on our first date are 100% with this guy and I am so grateful.
Somehow we ended up in a tournament AFTER the regular season ended. It sounds crazy, I know. We merged teams with Oak Ridge so it was a new group of kids.
On the way home from the first game (loss) Anderson fell asleep with a Bojangles biscuit in his hand and I found it hilarious.
Another pic of these 2 people that I love.
Some videos:
I love this post because he is so happy and I am so grateful that he got this important dream/wish of his fulfilled this year. Love
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