Flag Football

Jackson plays flag football. This is his third season and he's loved it since the very first time he played. This is definitely his sport. He throws well, he catches well, but more than anything he's fast as all get out. It's rare to play a team that has a kid faster than Jackson which means if he can get past the defense, he's gone. It also means if the other team thinks they're gone, they should put their head down and run faster because Jackson is hot on their heels.

This year he has a fantastic head coach who is a former football player; I think he even had a season in the pros and he is so great at making sure all the players; no matter their level get turns to play all the positions and everyone is having a great time. The team's record, however isn't fantastic. They've won one or two games and lost several very close games and the losses are killing this lovely, yet obviously very competitive coach. So today after they couldn't score in the first half and had let the other team score twice.... the coach snapped. He couldn't handle losing anymore, I think. Brad, who is also a coach, said you could see the change in his eyes as they came off the field at half time.

So at half time this lovely coach said to the group of 7 - 9 year olds. "Who has seen the movie 300?" (which Brad tells me is an R rated movie about 300 guys who took on a whole army - they somehow formed some sort of shield and held the army at bay for quite a while - they might all have died at the end, but... eh that was not his point) "We are going to be those 300 guys! We are going to form a shield!!!" I'm sure he was more eloquent and went into more of an explanation, but that's the gist of it.

They play 5 against 5 at this age and for every single offensive play of the second half they had Jackson lined up behind the QB who was behind the center and once the ball was snapped the 4 guys fanned out and became the shield with their sole intent to keep the defense away from Jackson who was to read the defense and decide whether he wanted to run right or left.

He scored 3 touchdowns and 3 2 point conversions; scoring all 24 of their points and our team won 24-22. It felt a little awkward by the end - I was sort of hoping someone else would get the ball - I'd hate for any of the other kids or parents to be upset by the how the second half went. Hopefully it'll all be back to normal next week and everyone will just be happy we won.

Camela