Way to Go, Coaches!

I got to listen to the news last night.  That doens't always happen any more.  But a sports story caught my attention.  The teasers before the commercial break was "High School football team suspended."  Well, this I had to hear.

 Now, like many small rural towns--and this one out in the Uinta basin where there is a localized energy industry (oil, gas and mining)---the local high school football game is THE event of the weekend for the whole community.  Our little town isn't quite like that but there are sure a lot of people who come out to sit through a game to see "our boys" play each Friday night.  This is definitely the situation in Roosevelt.


Apparently, Union high School in the tiny town of Roosevelt Utah has had some issues with boys behaving badly.  So, after the team lost their game last week, the coaches took the boys' jerseys and told them they would not be playing again until several things happened.  Homecoming was their next game, and while the school and the coaches didn't cancel it--they worried they might because 50 kids were suspended and they weren't sure they'd have enough kids to fill a team roster.

The players had not paid enough attention to their grades, were disrespectful to other teachers, and most importantly, were discovered to be the root of some increasingly serious cyber-bullying.  The coaches suspended then from the team.In order to get back on the field with Union, these boys needed to immediately pull their grades up, make apologies and amends to the teachers they treated poorly and the entire team had some extra lessons about bullying, it's effects, and why that kind of behavior was NOT okay in any way.  Plus the team members were given a pile of community service hours--cleaning up the Junior High, helping at some Senior Citizens' centers, and each had a personal service project within their families that they had to complete and write an essay about to be turned into the coaches before this weekend.

The best part of this story was when the reported interviewed the head coach.  He said that he knew this was the right thing to do because these boys have much more of life ahead of them after football, and he wanted them to be the material that effective community leaders are made of but he worried with this decisions that the community and the parents would create a strong backlash.  However, the community reaction was in complete cooperation with the coaches.  The rest of the faculty joined together to create extra study sessions for the boys to pull up grades, parents backed the decision from home and the community opened their arms for these boys to make things right again.

They still have until Friday....to make the team again and play for homecoming.  But this lesson will last far longer than the memory of the score at the end of any game.  Good job, coaches!

Holy War

Rivalry Game today:

Goooooooo, Cougars!

Back in the Saddle Again

Today we were nearly back to normal.  The Girl headed to swim at 6:30 AM, I headed to the pool to help with swim team gear and to purchase the kids' new summer suits.  I headed up to the high school to drop off a Viking sweatshirt to  a teacher's box who decided that she wanted a little one for a cousin after all and to drop off a thank you note and gift card to our fabulous custodian for helping at our all-night party last week.

The boys are the only thing abnormal.  They are in Alabama this week for The Boy to attend a kick camp for football kickers.  Genius Golfer went with him...and I guess has had a chance to watch him at practice.  I haven't heard much at this point, so I hope it is useful and helpful.  But since I am the "killer of dreams", I am also somewhat skeptical.

Sounds like a typical summer beginning around here.  Let "normal" begin!

Meanwhile, In My Other Life...

This week was our final regular season home game for football.  It was a pretty exciting night, as it was "if we win we claim the Region championship, if not we are in 4th place for the tournament."   And to top it off, a local news station set up camp in the south end zone and broadcast live from our stadium for their Game Night Live.  The did a half hour show prior to kick off highlighting our school as well as the other statewide high school football games going one this week.

The best part for me was the presentation of a little gift basket from the PTSA.  I put together a little basket with 2 T-shirts and 2 SnowFire hats thinking the two guys hosting the show would get into the spirit of a HS game and wear them while they are there.  But they are seemingly too far above us--and must receive gifts at every stop they make.  I arrived while they ere setting up (about 5 PM) and introduced myself to one host, Rod Zundel, and explained I had this basket for him and the other host, Jeremiah Johnson, but asked me to bring it back during the show and have the cheerleaders give it to him on the air.

Well, I had a YW thing I had to do that would take until about halftime, so I'd miss it, but I took the basket to my co-president and she had her lovely daughter Emily and one of her friends (who happens to be one of our YW in my stake), Abbey, to make the presentation along with the cheerleaders who--apparently from Rod's attitude always bring him cakes.  Well, on air (you can watch it above) the cheerleaders DIDN'T bring him treats and our little T-shirt and hat basket was all that they got.  And the girls were SO good to specifically say that this was from the PTSA.  Love it!

So thanks to Emily and Abbey for looking so great and doing that so well for me!  And thanks to Juliet for getting the girls there to make the presentation.  And thanks to KSL for coming down to bless us with your presence.  And thanks football team for a memorable year--even if you lost.

Ya Gotta Love The Kicker

Last night our high school played the rival rich kids from the town near us.  It was a nail biter.  The rival team always seems cocky and arrogant--but they usually win, so there is history backing up their swagger.  But last night the Vikings pulled off a win.  But it came at the hands of a great kid--Trevor--who is the 5'6" senior kicker.

See the article  HERE

As a mom of a kicker, I was holding my breath for Trevor, and his mom.  We kicker-moms have to stick together.

He Shouldn't Have Surprised Me...But He Did

While The Girl was going to the Homecoming Dance on Saturday night, The Boy was having a fun night of his own with some buddies from football.  They had gotten together and went to the indoor trampoline place they love in the afternoon and then planned to go the movies about 7:30 PM.

Genius Golfer and I took advantage of having no one with us and went to dinner.  While we were at dinner I got a text from The Boy that said they were headed back to out house to play night games.  But it was less than and 1.5 since their movie was supposed to start.  GG thought they had not told the whole truth about going to the movies, but maybe had some ulterior motive going on.  I worried that they hadn't planned well enough and the movie they meant to see was sold out or something.  Either way, we were soon headed home to supervise the six or so boys that wee headed to our house.

When we got home, the boys ended their outside night games and came in to watch a movie in the family room.  While they were settling in, I asked the group if their movie was sold out or did they decide to see something else instead.  They boys hesitated a bit before answering me. Finally The Boy piped up and said, "Mom we went to he movie we told you but we left early.  It wasn't a good movie.  There was some bad  language in it like The Green Hornet (there is another story here, but I'll tell you in tomorrow's post) and we were kind of uncomfortable about it so we left early."

You could have knocked me over with a feather.

They had gone to a PG 13 movie, at the $3 movies theater that is walking distance from our house.  They thought they had all the checks in place to see something fun and would have a good time together.  But even with the "rule" in place they still found themselves in a spot they knew better than to be in and they did the right thing to get out.

I was so proud of the boys and I told they how impressed I was that they had done the right thing and stuck together and got out of it.  I patted them on their knees or shoulders and told them that I thought they were good boys for doing the right thing even if it was hard at first.  I was so proud of them.

I have been worried with this group--being football players, and "too cool for school" sometimes--but they chose to do the right thing, and they did it together.

After that experience, I figure The Boy knows how to make good friends. And I should probably relax my worry about them--but not relax my continued emphasis on the standards I want them to embrace.  It made me so happy to see them do that as a group and come away proud of themselves for knowing they did the right thing too.

Scary Moments...Or, Rather, Half Hour

The Boy had a football game yesterday.  It was their first region game, so these "count", according to the player at my house.  They played Lehi's sophomore team.  But those boys from Lehi were HUGE!  I don't know that many sophomores at our school that are that big!  Wowzer.

Anyway, Lehi came out and scored on their first possession, and their second.  Our boys scored a safety at this point, but the score wasn't the scariest part of this game.

At 9:42 left in the third quarter or so, one of our boys wet down.  No movement.  The student trainer had run out to check and immediately yelled for Kristin.  Kristin is our fabulous athletic trainer, and she ran out to the player and student trainer.  The next thing we know Kristin has the student run back to the Gater-cart and gets the cell phone and calls 911.  The big gate is opened and prepped for the ambulance to get there.

His mom made her way to the field and watched the EMTs strap her boy to a back board and tape his helmet to the baord before laoding hi on a stretcher and taking him to the ambulance. The whole thing took about a half hour.

The only clue about his condition was his mom taking pictures as they loaded him in.  That was a good sign.

A while after the game I texted her and asked her to let us know how he was doing, and to let her know he was in our prayers. She responded that his neck was strained but no broken bones.  He was lucky.

Today I watched the video of the injury his parents had posted on Facebook.  The other kid grabbed B's helmet and twisted, throwing him to the ground.  The sad thing is The Boy told me that several of his teammates told him that kind of play was happening the whole game.  Yet, there was never a call.  It is scary.  Where were the officials looking?  When kids get tossed about on the field left and right--and after an ambulance call ?!?!--wouldn't you clamp down on that kind of behavior, before anyone else gets hurt?

This kind of  injury is always in the back of my mind, so long as The Boy is playing football.  I know, he is a kicker.  And Kickers don't get that kind of physicality--unless someone whacks him--but there is a "roughing the kicker" call for that kind of stuff.  I just worry.  Swimming is so much less stressful.

Weekend In Review, Part 1

It was a busy weekend around here.  We had a regional conference this weekend,and Saturday evening we had an adult session for our stake.  It w as a great meeting and I heard the scripture from Helaman 5:12 several times--so I guess I'd better learn it and that message.

Then there was that little game of football.  Kick off was at 8 PM between BYU and the University of Utah.  The locals call it the "Holy War".  Last year these two met at BYU and the U ended up with a win 54-10 or something....that game was a ridiculous mess...and BYU served up a complete disaster handing the U a big win.

"The hatred between BYU and Utah is nothing compared to what it will be. It will be a crusade to beat BYU from now on."— Former Utah coach Wayne Howard (1977-1981)

This year the game was held at Rice-Eccles stadium in Salt Lake City.   The place looked packed and the crowd was crazy!  It was crazier than I have ever seen--the Utah crowd actually stormed the field right after a blocked field goal, with a live ball on the field.  So BYU was given another shot at the field goal, after a 15 yard penalty, making the distance much more do-able. The game pushed to near midnight and finally ended with a field goal attempt that hit the upright and BYU lost 21-24.

Yikes.  Too many people around here are far too invested in this rivalry. I'm not saying I wasn't yelling at the TV all evening too, but I had calmed way down by Sunday morning. I am glad the season still has much time left, so we can move on.

 

Sunday Video

The Boy is #6, the kicker, on this Sophomore squad last Thursday night.  This play kept their game a shut out.  The Boy made all 7 of his PATs too.  Good times!

Community Spirit

My co-president and I met with our high school principal yesterday to iron out a couple of issues we have been handed.   The first dealt with a brand new student council--with terrific, grandiose, and excellent ideas--as well as their brand new, over-stretched adviser and the learning curve of getting these events calendared appropriately.  These kind of things always work themselves out, and the Administration was on it, so we just reiterated what the principal already knew and was already working on.

The second had to do with a new-to-us football coach and his different system of doing things and the bad feelings that those changes have created.  For example, our PTA has always sold t-shirt and sweats, etc at the home football games.  We didn't sell as much as we let people see and know what we had and then draw them in to the school store during the school day.  Sure we sold some each game--particularly to the city's old-timers who each year buy a new shirt to wear to homecoming and the other games to support or local kids.

The change came in the new coach being given exclusive right to sell at games--not just apparel but programs and concessions as well.  This change took a revenue system away from clubs or other groups in the school who have "always" done it for their own fund raiser (i.e., the FFA who sold concessions).  The problem here is that the new change wasn't communicated to these groups in time for them to come up with another plan for fundraising.

The PTA still has the school store which we staff and where we sell school spirit items Tuesday thru Friday at lunch throughout the year.  The other groups weren't so lucky.

So at our meeting with the principal, we gave our ground about selling at the game to football in an effort to "make nice" and to encourage a new feeling of inclusivity for a hopeful change.  It was well received, but I'm not sure how success we will be.  But as a presidency, we see this as the issue for our year to solve.  We have much peace to make and rough edges to smooth over.  I just hope we can do enough in time to set the school back on a level field for everyone.  Or at least, do what we can to help each faction feel part of the greater whole.

Back in the Saddle Again

The Boy played in a pre-season football game last night.  It was at our Cousins Garett's high school, so, since it was conveniently located, the family came to watch too.

 Warming up with some practice field goals....

 And the Kick Offs....several of them

 

 And a few extra points...like, four or five!

 The Family Cheering Section!  It was fun to have our Aunties, cousins, Grandmama, and Uncle there

Genius Golfer's Brush With Local Greatness

This just in...from a few week ago.  I just hadn't written about it yet.

Genius Golfer played in a charity golf tournament in Provo a few weeks ago.  He played in a team of four--with other guys from his Men's Association.  I can't remember how well they did--they didn't win it outright, but they seemed pleased enough.  But the funniest part was the photo afterwards. 

That guy in the middle...in the blue shirt?  That is the legendary BYU football coach, LaVell Edwards.  He and his wife, Patti, were hosting the event for a children's charity.  And the gracious coach posed for photos with the teams as they finished.

GG, while he recognized that this was cool, he knew that I would be really excited to see the photo because of the the two of us, I am the big BYU football fan.  And LaVell is truly a legend, in Provo and the world of college football.

Ingenuity = Boredom + Spare Parts

This is what I found when I walked out the front door the other day:

Give The Boy a little bit of time, some PVC pipe and a good, end-of-season reason to improve his kicking skills and you have yourself a homemade "break your neighbor's window" potential that is off the charts.  Plus a long afternoon of keeping him and the neighbor kids busy playing outside. 

I had a good book in progress, and a quiet house.  All I could say is "Ahhhhh."  Well, that and "Please don't dent Becky's van."

It's Becoming Legendary

This is The Boy's field goal attempt.  A wife of one of the coaches recorded this version.  You miss the first initial bounce on the cross bar, but you get the idea.  Crazy!!

Oh, and today we heard from a round about way that according to a BYU player, who was shownt he video--not this one perhaps but oneof the other parents' recording, that the ball "broke the plane" and therefore should have been called good--making The Boy the big winner of the game,instead of hte overtime quarterback sneak.  But a win is a win.  Unless you are the kicker's mom.

MVP

Saturday The Boy's football team won their game, in overtime.  It was a much needed victory for their morale.  The Boy came home with the MVP flag--awarded by the coach for outstanding effort in the game each week.  (The flag bearer flies the flag in their front yard for the week, and then returns it to the next game for the next player to take home.)

The really cool part, I think at least, is that The Boy got this for his efforts in a field goal attempt that he didn't actually make.  In the last seconds of the game, the teams were tied and our team had a chance to make a field goal. It was within his range.  And The Boy's been practicing on his own for hours and hours all season to be ready for whenever he might get the chance to make a field goal.

He kicked from the left hash mark, from about 20 yards.  It was high enough and centered enough, but the force for that distance was iffy.  His kick hit the top of the cross bar and bounced straight up.  That bounce came down and hit the cross bar again!  And then bounced backward, out of the goal posts, making no points at all.

I've never seen another kick like that ever.  The families in the crowd were holding their breath as he kicked and then sucked in the breath as it bounced TWICE!  And a big groan of disappointment when it bounced out.  But afterwards the crowd was very complimentary about his efforts.  And you could sure see in his body language, even from up in the stands, that he was so upset with himself for not making that.  The team went into overtime, and on their first posession, the quarterback kept the ball and ran it in to win the game.  So all was well.

For his part though, there was a bit of a pity party around here all weekend, which gets old fast.  But by last night he seemed in better spirits about it and by today at school it will be a cool story to tell.  I hope.  But the flag is a cool recognition, either way.  Now we just hope he has another chance to redeem his now infamous kicking before the season is over.

Contagious Hype

It is week two for the College Football season.  Living, as I do, near to the heart of Cougar Central, we hear an awful lot of hype about the BYU Cougars.  But we also hear a lot of teasing about the University of Utah's Utes. 

The Utes opened the season as a new member of the Pac-12 Conference.  And today they battle USC in Los Angeles.  Those in RED this weekend like to schmack talk the advantages of the new conference, of playing "big time" teams, and of the super-big money the U is now a part of from its new affiliation.

The Cougars are in Austin, Texas to take on the University of Texas Longhorns today.  Still much hype as BYU has become an independent team this year--no conference affiliation at all.  The advantages, however, include the agreement with ESPN to televise the games to a wider audience, the freedom to play teams from all other conference and the handful of other independent teams, and the rights to re-televise the games on BYUtv once they are over on ESPN.

I guess, in the bigger picture it all boils down to money and exposure.  But from listening to some folks around here, you'd think these kind of games were means to world-economic and societal end solutions.

Not Quite Adam Sandler's Version

Today was The Boy's first official game, against Lehi--which they lost, but not because they gave up or quit.  They just got outplayed.  All over the place, but that isn't the point here..  

Genius Golfer and I had the task of being the officially sanctioned "Water Parents" today.  Good thing they have someone do this, as it was 100 degrees on the field today.  The team mom assigned all the families of the players a chore--water parents, after-game treats, etc.  We were the first assigned Water Parents.

A Water Parent is in charge of having water for the players throughout the game, of taking the rack of squirty water bottles out to the players during a time out or game stoppage due to injury, plus reminding the boys throughout the game to keep drinking to avoid dehydration.

One of the things that I learned too, being the first home game and the first attempt by the team mom for Water Parent as a job assignment, was that you can't assume things will be there for you to use.  The boys play at the High School stadium.  There is usually a water station near the flag poles for the HS players to use, and our team mom assumed that the water station would always be there, even for us.  Not so much.  We found the nozzle, in a sprinkle box in the ground, but no hose to access it.

Luckily for me--and the thirsty team--two little brothers of The Boy's teammates were hanging around just wishing to be part of the action, so I enlisted them as Water Boys to help me out.  All that meant was I sent them to the city pool, next door, where conveniently The Girl was working right then, to ask to use their hose.  The little boys did just that, hauled it up to the stadium, and we were good to go once again.

We weren't quite like this stupid movie, but I can feel his concern....

As first time Water Parents, we figured out all sorts of kinks in the system, so next week's Water Parents won't have the same difficulties that we had today.  I hope.

The other thing I learned today is that the Water Parent is also the first line of defense for icing injuries.  I learned this myself because GG had left in the 3rd quarter to catch his Men's Association golf tourney.  I was the Solo Water Girl.  I was getting pretty good at scrounging for bags to put the ice in for the boys to wrap about their hurting knees and possibly broken ankles.  Yikes.  I don't do so well with injuries, as I tend to be too cynical and would rather encourage the kids to rub some dirt in it.  But these two boys that got hurt today were still young enough to cry a little bit without embarrassment that a "Mom" saw them.  That takes the cynicism away pretty fast.  They're still just boys, really.  Even if they talk a big man's talk about this crazy sport.

I guess that is why I put up with the dumb side of this sport.  The Boy loves it.  And I love The Boy.  So I do this kind of thing.  Parenting isn't for cowards.

Trading Card

As my day's to-do list is as long as my arm, with little in-between time to sit and ponder what to write about today, I'd like to share--mostly for the sake of the grandparents that lurk here--The Boy's football photo.  What a stud-muffin.

Oh, and PS--the Fitness Center in our nearby town actually FOUND The Girl's team swim suit and another friend, on an errand of her own that took her to the area, picked it up and returned it to us yesterday.  *big sigh of relief*

Bummer for Them; Still Fun for Me

Homecoming Football Games ought to give the team holding the homecoming some kind of bonus points.  At least a little leg up to get them started.

Last night was our HS homecoming game, and in the end the boys in blue lost by one touchdown.  Totally a bummer.

Yet, I thoroughly enjoyed the fun friends, family and neighbors I got to hang out with for a few hours.  Oh, and the "Light the G" ceremony was pretty neat too.  Probably would have been even more exciting had I remembered just exactly where the G is on the hillside prior to it being lit so I could watch the switch get flipped.  Oh well.

Friday Night Lights

After a break of five weeks, we finally had another home high school football game last night.  And because The Girl had finished her last Two-A-Day practices just a half hour before I wanted to leave to get seats, she chose not to come, but to rest and veg out.  Can't say that I blame her.  So I headed up the hill and met with my football game friends for a fun and worth-every-penny-of-my-$5-admission evening.

I think I have more fun at these games now than I did as a high school student.  Most of that feeling comes from the people I sit with during a game.  Most enjoyable, I must say.  They are PTA friends, football parents, HS alumni, church friends and community neighbors.

Plus it is fun to watch the kids I know from town as they experience the "see and be seen" attitude that is Friday night high school football games.  They crack me up.  I don't think we were ever as fun as students as the kids today are.  But I am certainly more obnoxious an adult than the adults were when I was in school too.  Everything evens out in the end.

Our boys in blue won last night by the way...with no help from the referees.  Final score: 14-10.