Welcome to Texas Football
I'm not sure if I mentioned this before on the blog or not, but my 11 year old son has decided that he wanted to play tackle football this year. On one hand this isn't a huge surprise because he has shown interest in it previously when he was playing soccer and we shared the youth football team that was all in pads and helmets. On the other hand it is surprising, because I'm not sure that he has ever watched more than twenty minutes of football his entire life combined. I don't think he can name more than two positions or tell you how the game is scored. He did play some flag football through the YMCA a while back, and maybe he has some lingering affection from that time.
So this weekend he had try outs for youth football. This was the final weekend for tryouts. It lasts three weeks to get all of the kids in. Now don't get me wrong everybody gets put on a team, but this is Texas and we apparently take 6th grade football pretty damn seriously. Try outs lasted two hours Saturday. After registering, he was weighed in, interviewed by coaches of every team individually, ran a 40 yard dash in which his time was announced to the crowd (yes, the crowd), caught a pass, threw a pass, tackled a dummy, and then was finally sent on his way. The next day the coaches from the different teams get together and draft their teams. They only get to keep two kids from the previous year so I guess the teams change regularly.
Much to my dismay, I've also come to find out that the teams practice two hours a day four days a week. I'm having a lot of trouble with this time commitment that they are expecting. I already know my kid's going to have to miss practice every Tuesday for dance class. I guess I'll have that conversation with the coach today, as practices and conditioning are already starting. I might not actually mention the words "ballet" or "jazz dance".
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19 comments:
Tell em it's an afternoon every Tuesday for conditioning....and at the end of every session he bites the head off a live rat. Coaches love that stuff.
And always remember, blood makes the grass grow!
When I was in college I took Appalachian folk dance (aka square dancing). The entire football team was required to take it for coordination or some reason. Everything was fine until one of the guys had a "flashback" or something and tackled a girl breaking her leg. She got an A in the class so I don't see why she was complaining.
Back to the point, dance is good for football players, right?
Don't they always talk about football players taking ballet to help their coordination or something?...Maybe that's just in the Northern United States.
Is it wrong to hope he won't make the cut?
BTW, is he putting to good use all the knowledge he gained in his cooking classes?
Gyuss - I was thinking I would say it was for school or church. I don't think they're allowed to argue too much with those things.
Susan - Remember this is the kid that broke his arm street dancing with his friends. God only knows what would happen in square dancing.
Churlita - Yeah, I've heard that, but I don't think they mention that until the dude is a football stud that the team can't live without. The scrubs and bench warmers keep quiet about that shit.
Goo - I'm just hoping that this is something that will build his self esteem and not demolish it. He hasn't gotten to cook yet, but he was asking to this weekend, so it'll happen soon.
kiddo kinda beat me to the punch here but weren't there a few pro ball players a few years ago who took ballet? it seems to me that it could only help on the field as dance teaches you to command your body and to be aware of what it's doing. also dance requires stamina..... hmmm.... perhaps dance should be required of ~all~ males. ;-)
Yeah watch what you say about his Tuesday commitment, lest the coach assign him the position of kicker on the football team!
Heather - Man world is a lot different from woman world.
Cyber D - This is Texas. We don't believe in kicking the ball here. Hell we've only just started accepting the forward pass.
Heather you make an excellent point...that's exactly what I was going to say :)
Tera - That's one of the crucial differences between men and women. Men realize that everything is a challenge and are constantly racing to be first to the finish line.
There are 3 things that can result from the forward pass and 2 of them are bad...
Dagromm, as I recall you are ALWAYS first...
Q - That's the Texas state motto. I'm pretty sure that's what it said on the flag at the Battle of San Jacinto.
Q - I win more than I lose if that's what you mean.
Boy don't I know that to be a fact!
Tera - You'll find that I only speak fact.
And little white lies that he uses to seduce you and then make him dinner before his wife gets home...
Q - I meant every word I said. Just maybe not about you.
That's how Dags seduced me... little white lies whispered into my ear from behind the pillow crammed across my face.
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