Midnight Madness this year at Rule:
No gimmicke here, as I could count the number of parents/fans in the stands on all ten digits. In this case, not a big deal, what did we see? what did the kids accomplish?
I saw a football field in the dark, lit up by Friday night lights, and heard faint electrical humm courseing through the air. I smelled fresh cut grass an felt a faintly cool breeze on occasion brush past me. I enjoyed a late night icy cold Dr. Pepper from the all night Allsups. I watched my nine year old daughter mke her first friend in our new town. I met a teacher, a parent, and a booster club member. I did all this watching a group of young men run through seven minute drills. I watched a group of young men leave a field at ten till Midnight
and return in pads, so pumped up they could hardly contain themselves. I watched as coaches encouraged and players tried to execute.
The kids realized hard work can pay off, for our group, this is the first step in building a successful program. I watched young fish realize they could get pancaked, and bounce back. I saw young men give the best they could and take the best someone else served up . I watched a group of young men dead-dog tired yet at the same time find energy and explode with it. I saw boys who waited all week long with anticipation finally get to hit, tackle, and game plan. I saw the beginning of a new Bobcat team.
At the end, the few spectators quietly dispersed, the boys wrapped up practice to head home and get to sleep in late for the first time all week.
I do suspect though, that next year, the stands will have a few more bodies but I am not so concerned about that- what will happen though is a group of returning young men will remember the fun and excitement of those first sweet moments of physical hits under the stars. Those returning boys will it even harder.