Our high school boasts a stellar senior football team that has captured many championships in the last few years. All of the classes I teach are senior classes and within those classes are approximately 15 of the senior football players. Over the past couple of weeks, more and more of my boys have been asking me to go to the games to watch them play. I always tell them that they will never know if I am there or not, since they are all so involved in playing and since there are usually so many people there. They typically wave their hands at me in playful disappointment, but are always very polite about the whole thing. Today, in all three classes, every single player asked me (again) if I would come out tonight at eight o'clock to watch them play. Eight. O'clock. Like, in the evening. On a Thursday night...after I have been sick with a cold for a week. After I have been feeling plenty sorry for myself for several different reasons.
At 7:45pm, the guilt made me layer on the warmest clothes I could find (it's a chilly 3 degrees Celsius - 37 degrees Fahrenheit), find all of our winter mittens and toques, and convince K2 to accompany me into the city to watch my boys play. We sat out in the cold for over two hours watching the boys get slammed into the ground, get tackled by the other team, and, finally, saw them win 15-9. The biggest surprise? I had a nice time. There were lots of team fans, some teachers and our principal and two VPs as well. K2 snapped this grainy picture of the team and, though it's not a great one, I'm glad I have it. Tomorrow, I will be able to tell my boys how proud I am of them...right after I wring their necks for scaring me so much on the field. Those hits were tough, man.
I have gone to see my nephew play and my niece plays the tuba in the band, but I do not like to be cold.
ReplyDeleteYou are a very good teacher for caring so much for your kids.
Fun! I never went to one High School Football game. It just wasn't my thing. Now we live right next door to a High School and every Thursday and Friday night we see the bright lights, hear the roaring of the crowd and the marching band playing. Every week I tell my husband "We should go to one of those games. It sounds like fun". And then we don't go. I'm thinking maybe next week we will do just that, especially because the weather here has been beautiful and it seems a pity to waste it indoors every evening.
ReplyDeleteGreat time! I only remember attending part of one high school football game. What a great experience it is to go out and support these kids. They work so hard! Happy to hear you had such a great time and I bet you'll be surprised how many of the guys knew you were there and how much it meant to them. You ROCK teach!!
ReplyDeleteWe sucked where I went to high school. Nothing like that. Except for the cold...sound like a fun time.
ReplyDeleteKeep smilin!
I am not a sports fan myself but this sounds like a fun night.And it probably meant a lot to them to have you there.
ReplyDeleteSo it is the 'next day' now. Were they happy you were there? Did you have to show the picture to prove it to them?
ReplyDeleteWill you go to another game?
You, obivously, are a great teacher and it's no surprise they would love you to be there.
ReplyDeleteAWWWWW! Good for you! Maybe I should have more guilt, but when the kids ask if I'll go outside and play with them on the tramp, I just say, "it's too cold. And I'm a delicate flower." :-)
ReplyDeleteWho are you and what have you done with my friend? You passed up The Office and Grey's to sit out in the cold?
ReplyDeleteGlad you had fun.
Football games are where you will find my butt every Friday night. I am there to watch my kid play and my niece who is a cheerleader. I am not into football at all, but the kids and the hot chocolate make it all right. The guys do get clobbered, huh?
ReplyDeleteFootball is all there is to do in our town on Friday night. It's not just a game, it's an EVENT. :)
ReplyDeleteI am sure your boys appreciated you being there. I think kids are so funny ~ they can be as mad at me as possible during the day, but then I see them at a game and they are my best friend. I love that.
I hope you have a good, restful weekend.
You are so good. Hope you feel better soon. I can't watch football for just that reason. I don't care how thick the padding when they get hit and their heads snap back I just cringe. I can't imagine what it would be like if I actually knew the person being hit.
ReplyDeleteI don't get football but I'm glad that you had a good time. I too am not sure how I would feel if I knew someone getting hit and tackled like that.
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