As all of you moms know, the fall football season it upon us. Normally my favorite time of the year (yes, I am a huge football fan), I have to admit that this year’s football season is leaving me, well, it is leaving me . . . scared.
No, I am not scared that the Chiefs will be terrible, my Notre Dame Fighting Irish are rebuilding, that Missouri lost Chase Daniels, or that Rockhurst High School lost to Hutchinson. I am scared because both of my boys are playing football this fall.
Now, it is only “flag” football, so I am not really worried about them getting hurt. I am worried about the time involved as both the boys are also playing soccer this fall. I am worried because neither one has ever played football, of any kind, before. I am worried that they won’t like football (despite the fact that it is one of my favorite things) and I am worried that they won’t do well. Although I consider myself a fairly realistic parent and know that the boys won’t be good at everything they do, I still want them to do well enough that their self-confidence doesn’t suffer.
Mostly I am worried because my visually-impaired son is playing flag football, along with the rest of his first-grade classmates. Now, some of you may be questioning my sanity for allowing my visually-impaired son to play, but my wife and I decided a long time ago that we are not going to make these decisions for our son. We are going to let him make these decisions for himself. If he wants to try and play a sport, we are going to let him try. If it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out. He is the one who will decide whether he wants to keep playing or not. The only rule we have is that once he starts, he has to finish the season. He can’t quit in the middle of the season because he, and we, have made a commitment to the team. If, after the season, he doesn’t want to play anymore, that is fine with me. He plays soccer and does fairly well. Football though, football scares me. He doesn’t see out of his left eye, so he can’t see someone coming from that side. He doesn’t catch very well, because he doesn’t see well. He doesn’t throw very well, simply because he is only six. I am worried that this football season will be a nightmare, but I can’t change my mind now (his first game is tomorrow and I am the coach).
It is football season and for the first time in my life, I am not looking forward to it.