Loyal to the Springville High! Long may our colors fly! Stand, the red and blue passes by. Let every loyal fan salute!!

I cannot even count how many times I had to sing that song in high school - sometimes with the choreographed dance as well, arm movements at least.  Forever ingrained into my brain!

Has it really been that long that a season of one sport (football) has turned into a season of another (basketball) for Jay??

Jay...football...I guess I only took pictures at one of his games.  Jersey #50

Jay would get so close to tackling the quarterback sometimes, but would put more fear into the kid and let him get away...until Will told him that it was okay if Jay smeared the quarterback into the ground.  I think Jay has had to withhold any aggression in his life because he lives with 3 sisters that he's not allowed to smear!

We were anticipating a quarterback smear...

But it's probably a good thing he didn't.  This quarterback would come to Jay's bellybutton...with his cleats on.  He eventually got him.

Jay had a personal foul called on him in one of his last games.  I had several parents, who know Jay, scratch their heads on that one.  Jay yelled, "COME ON!!" as he saw a player from the other team hold a teammate of his...the thing Jay didn't realize before his booming voice let loose, (it was very audible from the stands as well.  He is my son, after all.) is that the official had already thrown a flag.  So the official thought Jay was throwing a fit...

Long story short...the team cheer after their win was, "COME ON!!" It's kind of his own personal theme.

I don't think I'll ever get used to the football pad stink.  Don't like it one bit...not even when it was Will's football pad stink.  Only 2 more football seasons to endure it though.  We're to the point that we're having to pay to get in to see him play.  That means that the games are a lot more serious and intense, (not to be confused with life altering...it's still just a game) which means there is more anxiety in my life.  When they're young it's fun to watch them play...they do funny things and all the kids make mistakes.  At this level if your kid makes a mistake, they get booed.

What parent likes to hear their child being booed?

And somehow I can link football with parenting - that's what living with Will for almost 19 years has done to me -  We have to let our kids make mistakes...we can't do everything for them and take the responsibility for all their actions.  They need to learn to take criticism, from hundreds of people.

I don't like it.

And Will doesn't really link everything to football.  He links everything to the Army! ;)