I was going to do this all in one post, but, it may be a few days before I get the other photos. So, we’ll go this route…
(I volunteered to help out at uniform distribution…the benefit of this is that I could make sure the boys got the numbers they (and I ) wanted…)
A week from Sunday football(!) kicks off around here. Took a lot of coercing and prodding to get Matthew to continue football this year. But, I’ve always thought that he should experience the other end of the team…being the 5th grader on a 4/5 team.
And yeah, being that 5th grader, being a good 5th grader, well Matthew looks to have a lot of responsibilities. They’ve divided the team in to two; one set plays offense in the first half and defense in the 2nd and vice versa. In Matthew’s group…he is the the fullback on offense, the linebacker on defense. And he’s the kicker for the team as well…..
Special Teams: Well, yeah, that soccer background helps. Can consistently boom kickoffs 25 to 30 yards; hasn’t missed an extra point yet.
Offense: He’s a moose; it takes some effort and good tackling to bring him down. Still likes to slow down and make a move right in the hole; trying to convince him to hit that hole at full speed and when he is past the defensive line, that’s the time for the move, or the spin, or the stiff arm.
Defense: I guess this story stays it all. First or second day of practice with pads, they are walking through the offensive and defensive plays. Coach finally says “Ok, we’re going to go live for this one…” and Matthew very loudly and very enthusiastically says “Oh have I been waiting for you to say that!”. And makes the next three tackles…..
One of the downsides of his increased role is that we’ve always thought soccer would come first in conflicts….we’ve had to rethink that one quite a bit. Happily the conflicts look to be few….
(I’m good friends with the head coach….I wonder what the hell was going through his brain to make this kind of face in the team photo. He’s the last person that should be the focus of the picture….)
