The Boys of Fall

Football has been well underway since the end of July.   Today was a super football extravaganza day, both boys' had scrimmages against the 'rival' team. 

For Cole it was 'just' another scrimmage, I mean come on he's FIVE! ;)  He is doing OK,  football isn't coming as easy to him as most everything else does & its frustrating to him.   Though I think next year he will be a force to be reckoned with.  He just needs time to grow into those pads & helmet. 

Logan, on the other hand, this scrimmage meant more.

  He is at the Pee Wee level, this is his second year there.  Last year he was on the JV team & honestly we all went into this year assuming he would be on the JV team again.  That's one of the ways we talked him into playing this year, he loves that coach and wanted to play for him again.

This year it seemed to take longer for the team to split, no real announcement was made at practice concerning who was JV/Varsity but about last week I think, a group of them were split off to the JV side, mostly first year kids from what I could tell.  Logan, however was still with the Varsity coaches & other kids that were Varsity.  Then talk came that the Varsity coach had 6 kids on the 'bubble' between the two teams.  As far as I know no names were actually mentioned or mentioned to the kids, but we all assumed Logan was a bubble kid. 

As the week wore on, we were all getting anxious, Logan, wouldn't really admit it but I think he was hoping to make the Varsity team.  The coach had made the announcement that after this weekends scrimmage, he would make his cut & if you were told to get your Varsity jersey you were on the team. 

We had seen a marked difference in him so far this year, Logan isn't exactly the greatest, most coordinated athlete.  He acts like he doesn't care & has no real LOVE for any sport though he does admit to liking football and always has.   This year he's been different, he's been doing things I've never seen before from him.  He CARES about something, he's trying. 

So today came, I was a nervous wreck the whole day.  My stomach was in knots every time he'd take the field.  Amazing things were happening, he was actually TACKLING the kid with the ball!!  I couldn't believe it!!  And it was even the kid on the OTHER team with the ball ;)  (just kidding, he's not THAT bad that he'd actually tackle his own QB or RB)

The end of the game came, the coach called the kids to the sideline.  I thought I would puke....

The kids were dismissed & Logan calmly walked up the ramp & said, "come on, mom"   I couldn't read his face, I didn't want to just ask him, I didn't know what to do.  Then he turned the corner & said, "come on, we have to go up here."

The uniform room....

He actually friggin got it!!  I didn't know what to say or do.  I was waiting up there with him & I just needed/wanted someone to tell me YES, he is on Varsity!  I was still a wreck when Logan walked up to the coach for his uniform, thinking that he was gonna say "oh, wait, no you are on JV." 

Now please don't misunderstand, I'd have been perfectly happy on JV & believe me there maybe posts as the season wears on complaining about Varsity, I'm sure there will ;)  You just haven't seen Logan this past week, I can't stress enough how he's been trying.  I just can't.  I can't tell you how much he NEEDED this. 

Excuse the crappy picture/goofy looks.  Everyone was a little loop from spending roughly 7 hours at the football field today. 

After he got his uniform & I'm still unsure what all just happened, he heads down the steps.  The JV team was waiting to come up & get their stuff & I hear this convo, "Hey, (our last name) how'd you make Varsity? I thought you were coming down to JV?" said in an extremely snotty tone.  Logan didn't answer the kid, if he did it was just a 'dunno' and kept walking. 

As soon as I heard this I headed down & the kid shut his mouth & at that point wasn't sure who it was.  Logan later told me who it was.

  Of course at the time I'm biting my tongue not saying a word because everything I WANT to say isn't something an adult should say to a kid, but I couldn't come up with anything adult like to say.  I wanted to say 'jealous much?' Or the one that took me until about an hour ago to think of, "what position do you play"  (pretty sure its center), then say "oh, well you do KNOW if he was on JV, he'd have your spot." 

Yeah, probably neither one is the most appropriate. 


I just wish I had the strength Logan does.  All these hours later & it still pisses me off.  I asked Logan later if it bothered him and he said no, that kids an idiot.

I just hope he can use that, use the shitty things people may say to him, to make him better.

 He may have earned his spot on the team but now he needs to earn his spot on the field.