It's so much more than a football game!!

Yesterday morning as Clayton walks out of his bedroom, all dressed for "Game Day", with his football jersey on, our 3 year old jumps off the coach in awe..... WOW!  He knows what this is about, first football game of the season and Cayden is so excited he can't wait, he loves football!  His brother is a Buccaneer football player and he gets to go to his game tonight.  He is pumped.  He jumps into Clayton's arms, talking up a storm, he can't wait for the game. Clayton starts laughing, he says mom, I have never seen a kid like football so much.  He says are you gonna be a Buccaneer some day?  Cayden says, "YES", I am gonna play football too.  Cayden had to put his Buc shirt on, he couldn't wait until after daycare, nope we had to change clothes, right now, so he could be a football player too!!  
After I dropped off Cayden at daycare, I thought, It wasn't long ago, seems like yesterday, we would drive by that football field and I can remember Clay  wide eyed too, he was gonna be a Buccaneer football player someday.  He loved watching those games when he was little, he couldn't wait to be a football player, not any football player, he was gonna be a Buccaneer.  He talked about that for years.  His dad was pretty excited too.  Its so cute to hear little boys talk about their football dreams.  Clayton has a big imagination and he definitely had big football dreams.  I am not sure at what point he started not liking football, seems like it started in 7th grade.  Looking back, I am not sure it was about football, but he definitely had decided he didn't want to play in 8th grade.
Kinda hard to watch a kid that wanted to be a Buccaneer so bad, and play on that field in high school decide he don't want to play before he even really got a chance to play.
 So after not playing in 8th and 9th grade, Clay joins the team again his sophomore year.  We were pretty excited too, he was gonna be a Buccaneer football player after all.   As school started, Clay started to complain about football, how he didn't like it, and how he had made the wrong decision.  We told him, its too late your not quiting this season, you will play, you signed up, we already bought the things you need.  We have always said, you don't quit a sport after you sign up for the season!  Week two of school, Clay texts me at work, he says, MOM, I talked to Mrs Spoon, (the school counselor) and she said I could switch over to Cross Country that its not too late, so I am gonna do that.  I text him right back....Don't you do anything, I will pick you up at lunch today and we will talk.  I picked him up and we went to lunch.  Clay had some valid points, he admitted he joined to make his dad happy and he shouldn't have done that, he said I won't get to play mom I don't feel like I am part of the team, I am miserable.  I hate going to school all day, knowing I am gonna have to go to football.  (this was just like the first day of the second week of school, they had not started practice with full pads yet)    Clay was really upset that day, I told him, NO WAY was he quitting this season, he needed to get tough, and try to make the best of it.  I said it's more than football Clay, it is about commitment, being a team player, dedication and pushing yourself to limits physically when you don't think you have anything left.  You will learn alot this year.  Above all if you don't learn anything else, you will learn not to make a decision to please someone else..(meaning if he did make the decision to please his dad, it probley wasn't the best decision for him and since it was him that would have to live with it, he would learn to not make decisions to please other people).    He begged me to talk to his dad about it and see what his dad would say. Ha Ha.  I have been married to your dad for 20 years Clayton, I know exactly what your dad will say.  We won't need to  have this conversation with your dad, I am telling you myself, I don't support you quiting, you won't quit and you need to make the best of it.  I told him I loved him and only wanted the best for him and dropped him off at school.  After he got of the car, he slammed the door!  I cried all the way back to work.  Was I a terrible mom?  Are we being too harsh?  But i knew letting him quit was not the best decision.  So I prayed for him, prayed he would learn from this experience, and prayed he would have a good year.  Took several weeks, but it got better, he quit complaining, he didn't get that much playing time, but he seemed to fit in just fine, and became very excited as the team won Regional, and then on to State Playoffs and then on to WIN STATE, playing at OSU in Stillwater the State Game, winning the game 7 to 6.  It was a dream of many high school boys to even make it to a State playoff  high school football game.    He has a 2009 Championship football Ring.  How many kids get that opportunity?  He was proud, he stuck it out and he did learn alot through the experience.   
Junior year,  He went through summer pride, again right before school, I'm not sure mom, football consumes your life for like 4 months.   I said, Clay just play another year, and then if you don't want to play your senior year, we won't say a word to you.  ok?  He quickly agreed.  Again, as a mom I just  pray he learns through this experience.  We have some awesome coaches here in our town, and Clay has alot of respect for the coaches as well.  And I think this too makes a huge difference in the life lessons that can be learned by playing a sport in high school. 
This year, Clay seems pretty excited about the season.  He mumbles from time to time, about a hard practice, or about how tired he might be, but I can see a change in him and his attitude about it.  He is proud to be a Buccaneer.  Again, to me, its not about the game. And its not about football, it can be any sport.   It's about learning to be a part of a team, dedication, hard work, pushing yourself to those limits and then watching your hard work pay off.  How can you feel that accomplishment if you never drive yourself past that point where you think you can't, but then.....you find out that you can, and you did! 
I was very surprised yesterday when we went to order his High school Letter Jacket and he told the lady he would be playing again next year, a total of 3 years in high school.  I really didn't know if he would play again next year.  I didn't say a word, but I thought, hmmm, wonder when he decided that!
As we sat in the rain last night, watching the Buccaneers play their first season game in Morrison, I was waiting to see if my son would get a chance on the field. (and he did!)   I wasn't about to get up from those stands and miss it.   We were going to be there to watch.  He isn't on the first string Varsity team, but that doesn't matter.  It makes no difference to me, and I wouldn't be prouder of him if he was the star quarterback than I am already of him right now.    As I sat there in the rain, watching how excited he was for his team mates, how pumped up he was each time they scored, I couldn't have been prouder of my son.  He's a team player!  He understands it, he knows now its more than just about the game.  Oh, he seems to really love the game now, don't get me wrong....but I know now, he has it figured out, its a much bigger lesson than just playing football.   I am so glad he is playing football, living out his little boy dream of being a Buccaneer, and he may never be a starter on the varsity team, but his lesson in life he is learning through this experience is awesome.   I have no doubt in my mind though, he is capable of being as good as he wants to be.  My prayer this year is that he learns to go the extra mile and work just a little bit harder, pushing himself to be the best he can, and not settling for less than what he is capable of achieving. 
We have another son in 7th grade, and he's not really liking football this year either.  (what is it about mid high football that so many boys decide they don't want to play?)  I think its the changes going on in their bodies and peer pressure have alot to do with it.  All I know is....we have been down this road Hayden, your getting ready to learn some valuable life lessons and I am thinking right now, it's not gonna be a choice.....for awhile longer anyway, not because I love football.  It's so much more than a football game! 
I mention this story on my Blog because.....the road to our goals and dreams is not always easy.  It takes dedication, determination and not giving up!  Not quitting when things get rough.  Even when you think you can't, you have to try harder.....make some adjustments and keep going!   That's where I am today in my battle with weight loss that I will win!  I want to not only do this for myself but to show my boys, there is nothing you can't overcome.  The rewards in exchange for accomplishment in those things you have to really strive hard for are so awesome...I am not stopping, its a lifestyle change and I will get to my goal weight.  I am not quiting in the middle of my season.....quitters never accomplish what they set out to do!  If I am not going to accept my boys being quitters, why would I accept that for myself?