Yesterday was the championship game for the Littles football league. Let me tell you that this was the Superbowl for our family and for every family on our team, if I may speak for them for a moment. The entire day was about rest and fuel in the way of food and drink for the Seminoles. If I had a dollar for everytime I heard, "How many hours til game time," I could buy three lattes from Starbucks.
Everywhere we drove, we listened to the awesome team CD on which was everything from Eminem to Bon Jovi. Our team mom, Julie, the BEST team mom EVER, compiled the songs (every football player submitted his favorite song) and she even added a few of her own. It iss one rocking CD, let me tell you! While Matthew and Champ listened to songs like, "Mary had a Little Lamb" and "Jesus Loves Me," Brooke jams to a little Bon Jovi, Usher and Lady Gaga.
Monday was a bit of a dreary looking day; dreary translated into DRAMATIC for us. We'd listen to the CD really loud in the car and the leaves were blowing as our feelings of anticipation of game time welled within us. Folks, I know this is little league but for us, it was BIG time. I as a parent was so pumped up and excited about it! Just before I dropped off Matthew for pregame, he said, "Mom, I'm so nervous." I said, "Oh, it's just a game - you've made it this far - go out there and have fun - win or lose, you've done great and your team has done great." All the while inside I was thinking, "Dam* right you're nervous - you have to ANNILATE those Jackets and show them who is boss." Instead I just smiled, said goodbye, and rolled out of the parking lot blaring some rap song with the bass booming. Yep, that was me.
Game time came around - people filled the stands. It was awesome! The adrenaline was rising - songs were blasting - spectators filed in by the dozens. Here is a picture of Mimi, Austin and my mom, Anna.
And here is Matt holding Brooke just minutes before game time.
I had to laugh at the whole scene prior to the game. Jackets on one side - moms were donning matching GT shirts - they had a huge spread of hor derves on their bright yellow tablecloth. Seminoles on the other side - it made me laugh. If we had friends on the opposite team, we were not friends during the game. The tension was thick.
So, the game was a close, hard fought game, and unfortunately, the Seminoles lost. Boo hoo. 12-6. But what an invigorating season it was for the players and parents. It was truly the first sports season out of all of the ones (in all sports) that Matthew has been a part of that I felt illustrated what I've heard all my life or seen in the movies. Think of Hoosiers, We are Marshall, etc. - the camaraderie, the heart, the intensity. The Seminoles coaches were phenomenal - they knew the game of football and inspired my son to play from his heart. The boys really came together as a team as the season progressed and I know that it'll be a season that Matthew remembers forever. I'm so happy that he had this experience.
The season may be over, but mama isn't going to take this rockin' CD out of my car just yet. So, if you see a mommy-mobile with the bass thumping, it's probably me :).
