Football

I am not quite sure what to write about our first official football scrimmage.  Overwhelming, nervewracking, frustrating, worry, anger.....mostly any emotion not having to do with happy best explains the morning.  We were at the fields by 7:45 and even with such an early start time the fields were flooded with parents, teams...everything football.  I reminded myself that soccer was much the same way but some how this still seems over the top.  This morning was practice scrimmages, where the teams play 17min offense, then 17min defense, break, 17min defense and ending with a 17min offense....against all different teams.  Basically it is to help the boys get ready for the seasonal games starting next week.  We were as ready as possible, with one practice under our belt I was feeling a lot nervous.  Football I am finding out is all about plays and I was not so sure Brayden had any clue as to what he was supposed to do.  The first offense play was great, yes he did get hammered multiple times while running the ball but he hung in there, although seeing four boys jump on your son basically sends my heart racing, actually I wouldn't have been the least embarrased running on to the field and flinging a  couple of them off my son!  Defense was another story, he was hit over and over...terrible to watch, heartbreaking seeing him brace himself at the line with three huge guys in black ready to eat them up....I hated it and I know he did too.  He came off the field in a terrible mood...I don't like football, everyone is trying to hurt me.....I didn't know what to say???  It really didn't seem like skill would help at that point-I told him this was the one time he could hit, push and let out all his frustration, he looked at me like I was crazy and walked away.  I know that sounded like horrible advise but after seeing all the coaches screaming at their kids, making them run laps and do push-ups, pulling kids off kids because they refused to stop tackling I really didn't think there was much decorum to these games.  He managed the second defense just barely...I couldn't watch.  He was a little excited to try offense again but when I saw we were up  against a Broken Arrow team my heart sank......best in the state and huge guys out for blood, okay maybe not that bad but the hitting was hard and  by the end of the 17minutes I just wanted it all to be over...as did Brayden.  Even though he did score a touch down and did do his share of ball carrying he had had enough and was in tears.  In the end he hated it....hated the coaches yelling and hated getting hurt.  To me the sport seems a bit ridiculous and after Saturday my opinion has only gotten worse.  Moms tell me it is always rough in the beginning and with work it does get better.  We did do some talking to his coach which did help.  Reminding us that football has a lot do to with team and the support of the team as to blocking and protecting each other.  I am hoping they can pull it together so we don't get demolished in the first month!