Well, it is almost the end of this year's football season and it has been an exciting one! I can't say that football is my favorite sport...actually I am truly a basketball fanatic at heart, but it is fun to watch these little guys run around the field. I understand some parents being concerned about little boys playing tackle football and the possible dangers involved. We have taken all the safety precautions we can and have attended every practice & game to be sure they are being coached well. I admit to cringing sometimes when I hear those pads crunching during a tackle, but boy do these guys love it. For all our family & friends who don't live close enough to sit beside us in the stands and bake under the sun while enjoying a Saturday morning game, I am posting some pictures of both boys from this season.
Pierre, our 8 yr old Haitian Sensation, played his first season for the Fort Defiance Midget team. He has anxiously waited his turn as he watched Ethan play the last two years. Those of us who know Pierre well had a small inkling that this boy was made for this sport...we were right. Those enormous hands and feet are proving to be very handy. This isn't just a game to Pierre. When he puts on his pads, it is business time. I've never seen him listen so intently as he does at practice. You will see from the pictures that his helmet is almost as big as he is and I think he probably carries almost half his body weight in pads when he suits up yet still he manages to swagger out onto the field. It took him a few weeks of practice and about two games to get the idea of how this game works. Never one to shy away from a tussle, he loves to tackle and doesn't mind in the least being tackled. He is happy to play any position and is always anxious to get into the fray. With his enthusiasm, intensity and speed, it didn't take long for him to get noticed by his coaches. At this point, they can often be seen at practices just shaking their heads and grinning as Pierre outruns and jukes his way to the end zone. Picture trying to catch a hummingbird....that is how Pierre runs through traffic and zips around. Last night, even two coaches jumped on the defensive side and tried to catch him by surprise...no such luck :-) Altogether, this first experience has been good for Pierre. It has given him an acceptable outlet for his normally high level of energy and he has lots of little friends who he enjoys spending time with off the field. He has always been a hard worker and incredibly persistent when he is determined to succeed at something, but football has shown him that when you do work hard at something you want, you can sometimes get the reward you were hoping for...during the game last weekend, he played with the first string offense (mostly older boys)....and scored three touchdowns...granted two were called back, but not because he didn't manage to speed past all the defenders and into the end zone. Pierre didn't mind and was happy to take the ball on the next snap and try to do it all over again!
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This is Ethan's third year playing for the Indians and he has had a good season. I definitely think Ethan's skills have improved each year. His Junior team hasn't had a great record, but I think there are a number of reasons for that. I think they have lots of talent, but maybe just haven't figured out how to get it all working together as a unit. Ethan plays running back, free safety and is his team's punter and kicker. As he played quarterback in the past, they also sometimes use him when they want to throw a long pass as he has a pretty good arm. Ethan has scored the majority of his team's touchdowns and has had numerous interceptions this season but he is always very quiet and humble about that fact. He doesn't like attention or limelight and gets uncomfortable when others try to compliment him on his play. He encourages his teammates and even if they lose, he will be smiling soon after the game. Football isn't his favorite game (I am thrilled to say basketball is!), but I think he will stick with it for a while yet. In fact, after practice last night, he was asking a varsity running back when he would be able to start working out in the high school weight room. You should have seen the smile on his face when Ernesto told him this time next year :-)
and now....on to basketball season....YAY!
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