This fall I did something I never said I would do.... let Carter play football.
He has loved football since he was the size of one himself. And therein lies the problem. Seven years later, he isn't much bigger than one. Yet his love for the game has continued. He follows the NFL and NCAA. He has known the rules and nuances of the game for many years. He plays in our living room, playroom, bonus room, and bathtub. He has even fashioned a version just for bedtime. All his stuffed animals have names and positions and he is the coach. He plays in the yard, street, and playground. He'll play with family, friends, neighbors, strangers, adults, or even himself. He is happy being a player, coach, referee, or commentator. He has been to college games, high school games, and pro games. And if there isn't a live game going on he's happy playing the Wii or PSP, too.
Several years ago he started asking to play on a team. We looked into some of the well-known leagues for kids in our area. For the under 8 age group the weight cut off was 85lbs! He weighed less than half that!! I wasn't too excited about the risks of football to begin with. Now it was definitely out of the question. besides, he was already playing soccer and baseball anyway. So the discussion was tabled for awhile. This year it came up again and someone happened to mention the Upward Flag Football program to us. We decided to give it a go. What a great decision!
We had no idea he would end up on a team being coached by two dear friends from church- Jason and Robert. We couldn't ask for better leadership. These strong men of God were wonderful leaders for the boys and their passionate love for the game radiated through the team.
Praying before the game...
Carter was in his element. He loved every minute of practice and games. Brooks and Carter completing a pass play...
On the run...
Joshua hiking the ball to Carter at QB...
A little celebratory dancing. He had his own set of moves this year that he busted out for different occasions.
Shouting directions to his team. Carter did a good job this year of letting the coaches do the coaching. He still takes the lead at times, but in an appropriate way. Off the field however he was still on the job. All week long he would be running through plays and skills he wanted to do with the team. We had to laugh one night when he told Billy an elaborate plan for a couple of plays he thought would work good for their next game. As soon as they got home Billy had an email from one of the coaches with the identical suggestions. Guess he knows what he's talking about :)
Julia spent another season as her brother's biggest fan, faithfully encouraging from the sidelines. She did get in on moving the chains a few times...
Carter was a flag snatcher, for sure. He kept his eyes on the prize and was grabbing flags left and right.
They had a wonderful season together, pushing each other to be their best, making the tough plays, protecting each others runs, and completing passes...
Thanks for the memories, Broncos! It was a season to remember, so many highlights.
He has loved football since he was the size of one himself. And therein lies the problem. Seven years later, he isn't much bigger than one. Yet his love for the game has continued. He follows the NFL and NCAA. He has known the rules and nuances of the game for many years. He plays in our living room, playroom, bonus room, and bathtub. He has even fashioned a version just for bedtime. All his stuffed animals have names and positions and he is the coach. He plays in the yard, street, and playground. He'll play with family, friends, neighbors, strangers, adults, or even himself. He is happy being a player, coach, referee, or commentator. He has been to college games, high school games, and pro games. And if there isn't a live game going on he's happy playing the Wii or PSP, too.
Several years ago he started asking to play on a team. We looked into some of the well-known leagues for kids in our area. For the under 8 age group the weight cut off was 85lbs! He weighed less than half that!! I wasn't too excited about the risks of football to begin with. Now it was definitely out of the question. besides, he was already playing soccer and baseball anyway. So the discussion was tabled for awhile. This year it came up again and someone happened to mention the Upward Flag Football program to us. We decided to give it a go. What a great decision!
We had no idea he would end up on a team being coached by two dear friends from church- Jason and Robert. We couldn't ask for better leadership. These strong men of God were wonderful leaders for the boys and their passionate love for the game radiated through the team.
Carter and his buddies Jacob and Brooks loved being together on the same team. They were our own version of the Four Horsemen- a threesome in our case...
