For Love Of The Game

It was right around five years ago that Gage came home from school one afternoon with a sign-up sheet for Zeeland Recreation clutched in his fist, telling me he wasn’t going to play soccer that year- he wanted to play football. Mark and I signed him up, not knowing how it would go… Gage was easily one of the smallest kids on the team, and he’d never played before. When Mark and I suited him up for the first time, we took him outside to practice so that he could get used to wearing full gear.

“Okay, now on the count of three I want you to run to the fence and back, got it?”

“Got it.”

“One… two… three… GO!”

He fell over.

I never thought it would last- the first year he played was hell. He hated going to practice when he could be at home playing with his friends, and every night when it came time to leave, I had to literally carry him to the car, kicking and screaming, because he didn’t wanna go.

Things have changed since then, and it wasn’t until we moved here that Gage fell in love with the game. When he came home from school that first year and told me he wanted to sign up for football again, I didn’t give it a second thought… I thought it would be good for him, a chance for him to make new friends. It wasn’t until I took him to sign up that  I changed my mind… Gage and I walked into the cafeteria, I took one look at the boys he would be playing with, and I grabbed him by the arm.

“Gage, let’s get outta here. You’re gonna get annihilated out there… these kids outweigh you by 120 pounds. C’mon let’s go.”

“Mom, no. I’m stayin’… I wanna play football.”

I signed him up, against my better judgement, and when I went home that night I told Mark that we had better start saving our money for medical bills and physical therapy.

Gage has always been underestimated because of his size, but what he lacks in height, he makes up for in speed and determination…  his coach that year christened him “Mighty Mouse” and he was one of the only 5th graders that year to play every game.

He’s played every year since then, and every year he continues to make us proud… he doesn’t let it bother him that he’s usually one of the smallest players on the team, and when he’s out there on the field he gives it everything he’s got. He came home from practice last week with grass stains on his knees, smelling of sweat and pride.

“MOM, I tackled Josh so hard HE THREW UP!”

As a mother, I felt as though I should apologize to someone considering vomit was involved… as his mother, I gave him a high five.

“That’s meh boy… you still got it, dontcha?”

“Yes, I do.”

This year is his first season with BSMS… he’s playing first string wide receiver, defensive end, and kick-off. Last night he played his first game… they won 40-6.

Let the games begin.