Posted by High School Football and One More $ Please!
One of my fondest memories of transitioning from the small religious English schools I attended, to an American High school was without a doubt the festivities that revolved around the Friday night football games.
My children attend a fabulous school. It is a charter school, a wonderful academic school and has a campus that goes thru grades K-12. The school its self focuses on the sciences, has won many awards and we are lucky that both girls are able to attend. What it doesn’t have is a sports program per say. There are no Friday night football games, pep rallies, home-comings or anything that I loved in that sense. These are things I want my girls to experience, as my son did.
Fortunately my oldest daughters Select Soccer team, (IFC), is predominately from one town, Aledo, TX, including both of her coaches. Aledo loves their football. So the first game of the season with her coach was the perfect one to attend. Rivalry game at that! Poor coach, two woman, his wife and me, and five girls. Nice one coach!
To say the stadium on the home side was packed, was an understatement. Orange flooded the seats. Kids were everywhere, laughing and having fun as they should. I handed my children some money and told them, “Put this in your pocket, in case you want a snack,” you know for sodas and popcorn, all the good stuff. My oldest daughter took off with her friends. My youngest, still in awe of the activity around her, stayed with me at first. The usual events took place, players introduced, anthem sung, coin toss etc. and then the game began. Great start, touchdown within minutes, field goal good, all is well!
The older kids came back to the bleachers and asked my youngest if she’d like to join them and go play, to my surprise she did. Now I will admit I love soccer, football and base ball, but I only know just enough to enjoy the game, which I do. I don’t know the ins and outs all the rules, I just enjoy it. Football season, my husband is a diehard Alabama fan, so we watch a lot of college ball. I personally prefer college ball and high school the best! Knowing just enough, gets me by, and that works for me!
I knew it was going to be a great game as soon as the quarter back took care of business before he hit the field and it was a great game! Like I said, I only know enough, so if it wasn’t a great game, I didn’t know! The atmosphere at a high school game is different. It’s one filled with pride and support and has a unique feel. It’s very neat to me. The stadium to me that night had that feel and I was hoping that my girls picked up on that. Being into the game I didn’t pay attention to the dollars I handed my children, until the little one came and asked me for money for the third time. “May I have one more dollar please?” my youngest asked me. It dawned on me, we were at a high school game, concessions are cheap and yet they had each had $20.00 each. “What are you doing with your money?” I finally asked…how did I not know?
I knew they were likely sharing your goods, because I had specifically told them too. But I just had to ask my youngest one more time for details. What have you been doing with your money? Especially since you are asking for, “one more dollar please.” And then she told me: Hot dog, pop corn, soda, water, icee, another, icee, nachos … “but I didn’t like them,” At this point my mouth dropped. Really, had I really not paid attention….and the answer was simply yes, I hadn’t!
They were having fun, sharing food, likely spit…out of soda bottles that is, but isn’t that part of it? I gave her the other dollar, thinking she is going to puke for sure. (She didn’t by the way).
While driving home I asked my girls the following question: “What did you love most of all about this evening, one you’ve experienced for the very first time?” and their answers made me smile. My oldest daughter, the sports nut, said, “I loved the game.” Though honestly I don’t know how much of the game she saw. My youngest said, “I loved playing under the bleachers with the girls and the snacks!” Isn’t that funny!
High School Football…and One More $ Please… by the way, Aledo Bearcats won 20-3, it was a great game, at least to me!
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