I’ve been waiting for this day.
Yesterday was the first day of New Player Conditioning for the youth Football league in our town. It brings a ray of hope; and a tinge of sadness.
I look forward to football season. It’s 4 months of 4 day a week practices and after the opening day, 3 days of games. I can leave the house on Saturday at 9 a.m. and return at 6 p.m….tired, tan and had a whole day of fun watching the youth league games.
I used to really enjoy going. That’s because for the past 8 years or so, I have had grandsons playing. This year will be a lot different. My grandchildren won’t be the ones I am there to see. I am going just to get out of the house and try to enjoy something in my life. I have a lot of friends there….Football friends….People I know who have children who play the sport but I only see during football season. I will take pictures as I always do; but probably not as many as I have in the past. I have talked to the coaches and they want me there to help when I can.
Yesterday I helped by going to the store to buy bottled water for 2 of the coaches and by getting weights on some of the new players as they went through their drills. Twice I felt a little sting of tears when other coaches asked how I was holding up. They all know I miss the grandkids….It’s that obvious.
I was really disappointed with the condition of the park. I swear our town does not have any real Engineers working for it. The park has always had a drainage problem when it rains. You see it is sort of in a valley between a state highway which is the main way into and out of our town, and a river on the other side. In the past, the parking lot has often looked like a lake. Common sense would tell you to drain the water from the parking lot into the nearby river….But these idiots decided to “Raise” the parking lot level…..And cover it with loose rock. Oh the parking lot “Looks” great….but the loose gravel does not make for good traction. I watched several vehicles struggling to park. And by raising the parking lot level, where do you suppose the water runs now?? How about covering the football filed and 1 baseball diamond?? They have now effectively ruined both for regular play. Not 1 game has been played on this diamond all season, and the football field is not going to be able to be used. The one goal post and the Scoreboard sit in a puddle of stagnate water and thick mud. The grass is patchy at best. We were told that they are going to play football on what we used to practice on with no goal posts this year.
The grass surrounding the baseball diamond has at least 2 to 3 inches of standing water. Walking to the Port-a-Potties or the snack bar becomes an adventure in wading. Mosquitoes are going to love the new breeding ground.
And I am told, they are not planning to fix the problem. They said they have already spent too much money on fixing the parking lot.
I enjoyed helping the coaches yesterday and watching the new players run through drills. Then with one of the last groups, tears came to my eyes when a young boy who looked so much like my youngest grandson appeared. Even the coaches commented that he reminded them of Ty.
Thursday is Draft day; and the first practices start Monday August first….I need a new camp chair…I’ll be there with my water bottle and my spirit wear
….And hope to get messages soon from my grandsons as they start football wherever they are…..
Hugs and Love to all!
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