The NFC B-Day Chat Thread

[Tumbling K]

Bert, if you start apologizing for long posts about being proud of your son for his accomplishments and his ethics, I'm in a world of hurt because that means I have 2+ years of Jamie-LittleDiane-Austin-Evan-Katie-Kendra posts to apologize for! Dangerous precedent to set, my friend! Great job, Dad/coach!!

no ma'am......football success does not compare to the bravery and successes you and your family have come thru. while at times to me and my family, football is life, it pales to ya'll's life.

Somehow I doubt that. (The skipping part)

 

[WVduckchick]

since we seem to be lacking for something to celebrate.


as most of you know, I tend to keep most of my personal stuff to myself, and while I may lean a bit towards the prideful side (weakness), I try not to brag, but.......


my 11 year old, has played peewee football since he was in kindergarden. I was and am fortunate enough to have coached him all the way along the journey. A little backstory on the boy. He's always been fiercely competitive, and growing up in a football family. His Pappa (me), his Bubba (oldest son) and another older brother all played organised football. So it's no small wonder, a competitive drive and a football family, it has brought us to this. He has also been fortunate enough to usually be one of the quickest kids on any field he played on. Now the downside for him, is he is in the lower bracket of size. He's almost always been one of the smaller players on the field, in any of the age brackets he's played, and this still holds true. What he brings to the proverbial football table, is this: the size of his heart. See, this boy, doesn't know he's the smallest guy on the field. In tackling and blocking drills at practice, he refused to go against similar sized players, instead, always moving places in line, to challenge the biggest players on the team. A quiet kid, verbally, his natural tendency, is to let his performance speak for itself.



Jump to spring, last year, and we were fortunate enough to be asked to join a select team, and again, I was lucky enough to be able to help coach. A far cry from our local school based peewee football team out in the country. Here he was playing with kids, that had talent. Kids that have the same football drive. Kids that are fast, scary fast. I mean kids that are in the 5th grade that would be faster than kids in the 8th grade. Here, tho one major difference, is many of these kids had SIZE. Some pushing the scale at 200#(yes in the 5th grade) and many reaching heights of nearly 6'. So once again, he stepped into the fray in the only way he knew how, with every thing his peewee sized body could.

Now a little about these select leagues. While the competition is great, and it builds better players, they are allowed, no many times encouraged to show boat. We've all seen the NFL games. A player makes a routine tackle, and jumps up celebrating like they just made the game winning sack. Or a player gains a couple of yards for a first down, and the celebration is on like they scored the game winning touchdown. Enough said. In this instance, these leagues it was no different. Now we were fortunate, this team we played on, was composed of fairly modest kids, most of them from many different rural communities, although about an hour drive from our house.

I couldn't be prouder of the way his attitude remained unchanged, thru good and bad. He was a defensive starter, and split time on offense, in many different skill positions. Bringing big hits, and good blocks, while not his usual star status, he was more than a contributer, and really stepped his game up, he had to. Then in the fall, our team was fortunate enough to even be able to be seen on TV, on a silly reality tv show, about youth football. I'm not going to get into the drama, many parents would bring, things they would say, just to get their mug on tv for a few brief minutes.

This last spring, he really got a chance to shine. He was still in the same age bracket, but now he was a year older. Still not much larger, but he knew what to expect. While carrying the ball for us, he was never driven backwards, being tackled. He always fell forward. (you football folks will understand how important that is). On defense, he truly turned into a beast of an outside linebacker. He got noticed. So here we stand. Modest kid, love of the game, and he gets an opportunity to play with some of the best football players his age, in the southern part of the country.





I apologize for the chapter book post.

Awesome stuff. And just as awesome as your boy is, is the heart that went into every part of it! You, my friend, are a special father, with lucky children.

Congratulations to your son and to the entire family!

Somehow I doubt that. (The skipping part)

x2!

 

[N F C]

Berts, I understand feeling like it skips a generation (us)...I've always felt my kids were better people than I am. Go ahead and brag about your kids, it's great to hear about kids doing well. Besides, it's not really bragging if it's true, right?

 

[Pork Pie]

Chris, feeling better this morning, thanks for asking. Now my laptop has decided to fall apart. I can't get any pictures or icons to show up here. Drat!

Ah, but DH has a new one, and he's busy

 

[N F C]

I'm excited about getting our internet hooked up at home next week. Won't do much for fixing whatever ails the old laptop but at least I'll be able to get on a bit more.

Hope you all have a wonderful day! Sunflour, enjoy your 6 (SIX!) days off, you've earned every one of them.

(And Blooie and Berts, don't even think of apologizing about posting about your kids! Love hearing about them!)

 

[Blooie]

no ma'am......football success does not compare to the bravery and successes you and your family have come thru. while at times to me and my family, football is life, it pales to ya'll's life.

My sister Linda (and anyone who knows me knows that my siblings are my very bestest friends in the whole universe) suffered a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm a few years ago. They got her into the hospital in time and they were able to repair the aneurysm but in the process she threw a lot of blood clots. Those clots killed her kidneys. So here she was, healthy, active, strong up until Christmas night, then her life changed forever. She has dialysis 3 times a week. She had to have a double bypass two years ago, risky because of her renal health. Her little granddaughter, Ashley, was diagnosed with leukemia last year.

Why all the background? Because when my legs had been stented again for the 4th time, we were sitting her on her deck and I started whining about my legs. Suddenly I looked at her - 50 pounds thinner (and she was never a big lady to start with, 4'11" tall) unable to hold her brand new grandson, and I just stopped. "Look at me! Good grief!! A little leg discomfort and I'm whining but look what you face every single day!"

Well, my very wise younger sister looked at me through her big green eyes and something like this: I have problems. And people always say that what they are going through is nothing compared to where I am. But my problems don't lessen the impact of what your problems are. They don't affect my life any more than yours affect your life - they're just different. My issues might be a little bigger but that doesn't make yours any smaller. In the end it's not about competition - it's about compassion.

I can't remember her exact words now - I wrote it out once but don't know where it is off hand. But in the end, all it means is that a comparison of lives - the successes, the trials, and the failures - will always end up lopsided. When did my baby sister get so cotton pickin' smart?

 

[Tumbling K]

My sister Linda (and anyone who knows me knows that my siblings are my very bestest friends in the whole universe) suffered a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm a few years ago. They got her into the hospital in time and they were able to repair the aneurysm but in the process she threw a lot of blood clots. Those clots killed her kidneys. So here she was, healthy, active, strong up until Christmas night, then her life changed forever. She has dialysis 3 times a week. She had to have a double bypass two years ago, risky because of her renal health. Her little granddaughter, Ashley, was diagnosed with leukemia last year.

Why all the background? Because when my legs had been stented again for the 4th time, we were sitting her on her deck and I started whining about my legs. Suddenly I looked at her - 50 pounds thinner (and she was never a big lady to start with, 4'11" tall) unable to hold her brand new grandson, and I just stopped. "Look at me! Good grief!! A little leg discomfort and I'm whining but look what you face every single day!"

Well, my very wise younger sister looked at me through her big green eyes and something like this: I have problems. And people always say that what they are going through is nothing compared to where I am. But my problems don't lessen the impact of what your problems are. They don't affect my life any more than yours affect your life - they're just different. My issues might be a little bigger but that doesn't make yours any smaller. In the end it's not about competition - it's about compassion.

I can't remember her exact words now - I wrote it out once but don't know where it is off hand. But in the end, all it means is that a comparison of lives - the successes, the trials, and the failures - will always end up lopsided. When did my baby sister get so cotton pickin' smart?

wow!

 

[sunflour]

since we seem to be lacking for something to celebrate.


as most of you know, I tend to keep most of my personal stuff to myself, and while I may lean a bit towards the prideful side (weakness), I try not to brag, but.......


my 11 year old, has played peewee football since he was in kindergarden. I was and am fortunate enough to have coached him all the way along the journey. A little backstory on the boy. He's always been fiercely competitive, and growing up in a football family. His Pappa (me), his Bubba (oldest son) and another older brother all played organised football. So it's no small wonder, a competitive drive and a football family, it has brought us to this. He has also been fortunate enough to usually be one of the quickest kids on any field he played on. Now the downside for him, is he is in the lower bracket of size. He's almost always been one of the smaller players on the field, in any of the age brackets he's played, and this still holds true. What he brings to the proverbial football table, is this: the size of his heart. See, this boy, doesn't know he's the smallest guy on the field. In tackling and blocking drills at practice, he refused to go against similar sized players, instead, always moving places in line, to challenge the biggest players on the team. A quiet kid, verbally, his natural tendency, is to let his performance speak for itself.



Jump to spring, last year, and we were fortunate enough to be asked to join a select team, and again, I was lucky enough to be able to help coach. A far cry from our local school based peewee football team out in the country. Here he was playing with kids, that had talent. Kids that have the same football drive. Kids that are fast, scary fast. I mean kids that are in the 5th grade that would be faster than kids in the 8th grade. Here, tho one major difference, is many of these kids had SIZE. Some pushing the scale at 200#(yes in the 5th grade) and many reaching heights of nearly 6'. So once again, he stepped into the fray in the only way he knew how, with every thing his peewee sized body could.

Now a little about these select leagues. While the competition is great, and it builds better players, they are allowed, no many times encouraged to show boat. We've all seen the NFL games. A player makes a routine tackle, and jumps up celebrating like they just made the game winning sack. Or a player gains a couple of yards for a first down, and the celebration is on like they scored the game winning touchdown. Enough said. In this instance, these leagues it was no different. Now we were fortunate, this team we played on, was composed of fairly modest kids, most of them from many different rural communities, although about an hour drive from our house.

I couldn't be prouder of the way his attitude remained unchanged, thru good and bad. He was a defensive starter, and split time on offense, in many different skill positions. Bringing big hits, and good blocks, while not his usual star status, he was more than a contributer, and really stepped his game up, he had to. Then in the fall, our team was fortunate enough to even be able to be seen on TV, on a silly reality tv show, about youth football. I'm not going to get into the drama, many parents would bring, things they would say, just to get their mug on tv for a few brief minutes.

This last spring, he really got a chance to shine. He was still in the same age bracket, but now he was a year older. Still not much larger, but he knew what to expect. While carrying the ball for us, he was never driven backwards, being tackled. He always fell forward. (you football folks will understand how important that is). On defense, he truly turned into a beast of an outside linebacker. He got noticed. So here we stand. Modest kid, love of the game, and he gets an opportunity to play with some of the best football players his age, in the southern part of the country.





I apologize for the chapter book post.

Hey Burt, this is not a brag....it's sincere pride and so glad you were willing to share this.

Most young people I meet reinforce my own decision not to have children. But those who are more like your son make me jealous that I was too selfish to try having a couple of my own.

 

[sunflour]

My sister Linda (and anyone who knows me knows that my siblings are my very bestest friends in the whole universe) suffered a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm a few years ago. They got her into the hospital in time and they were able to repair the aneurysm but in the process she threw a lot of blood clots. Those clots killed her kidneys. So here she was, healthy, active, strong up until Christmas night, then her life changed forever. She has dialysis 3 times a week. She had to have a double bypass two years ago, risky because of her renal health. Her little granddaughter, Ashley, was diagnosed with leukemia last year.

Why all the background? Because when my legs had been stented again for the 4th time, we were sitting her on her deck and I started whining about my legs. Suddenly I looked at her - 50 pounds thinner (and she was never a big lady to start with, 4'11" tall) unable to hold her brand new grandson, and I just stopped. "Look at me! Good grief!! A little leg discomfort and I'm whining but look what you face every single day!"

Well, my very wise younger sister looked at me through her big green eyes and something like this: I have problems. And people always say that what they are going through is nothing compared to where I am. But my problems don't lessen the impact of what your problems are. They don't affect my life any more than yours affect your life - they're just different. My issues might be a little bigger but that doesn't make yours any smaller. In the end it's not about competition - it's about compassion.

I can't remember her exact words now - I wrote it out once but don't know where it is off hand. But in the end, all it means is that a comparison of lives - the successes, the trials, and the failures - will always end up lopsided. When did my baby sister get so cotton pickin' smart?

You have a very special sister. Don't know why, but this post gave me happy tears.

 

[Pork Pie]

You have a very special sister.   Don't know why, but this post gave me happy tears.

Yeah, Blooie has a knack when it comes to that