Let's Go Warrior Eagles!

Today marked the official start of flag football for us. Technically practice began two weeks ago, but we had our first games this morning, and our boys are *still* on a losing streak. While I don't care so much they have *never* won a game (regardless of if they were keeping score or not) my boys have never been on the team that dominates, or is used to scoring. We've been through one baseball season, and five seasons of soccer and have yet to win.

We were hoping to change that streak today. We didn't. But we had fun anyways. That's what it's about right?

 These boys were troopers too! JP's game was scheduled to begin at 9;00a but we had to be there early enough to get his jersey and do warm-ups. Everyone slunk out of bed around 6:30, which really blew coming off of spring break, and we left the house around 7:15a. Scored a killer parking spot being one of the first ones there. Then we froze for the next several hours...

 JP can easily be picked out in numerous ways. A) We missed the gold socks memo. Everywhere I have read it clearly says, "Socks must be black" so imagine my surprise when the rest of the team shows up in gold socks... B) He wore his Lions sweatshirt under his jersey and insisted his hood be up. C) Never could you see his hands. How can you grab a flag when your hands aren't out?

This is typically what JP looks like when he sees mom taking a picture of him. He asks like the camera is going to steal his soul or something...

I wasn't sure how long the games would last, but they plan for them to last an hour. I think JP's lasted half an hour. It was over before they really got into the groove of it. There was also some confusion before the game as to who we were supposed to play. Apparently one of the fields was deemed unplayable so they had moved teams around to make up for the "missing" field and for some unknown reason, had our opponent playing at a later time. We scrambled to find another team ready to play...

I think it goes without say though, JP was mostly just excited for the snacks at the end of the game. 

With JP's game starting late and ending quickly, we had plenty of time to get HD over to his warm-up area and to then go find him after the game. Halfway through JP's game, HD and his team mom came over to find me because the league wasn't going to let him play because his physical hadn't been turned in. I'm thinking I came off pretty snarky when I told her I turned it in - to her- on the first day of practice. Luckily I had taken a picture of it, just in case, but then my phone wouldn't let me send it... She ended up taking of picture of my picture of the physical. Thankfully they let that pass as they continued to look for it. I was going to be *pissed* if they weren't going to let him play!

HD is on the "gold" offense and defense. He takes his position quite literally and lines up in the same exact position every time. It's cute! He's really good about using his body to block instead of his hands.

 Both Perry and I found it quite amusing HD, who might be the second smallest on the team, was having to block their biggest player. I mean they are the same height when the kid is hunched down!

 HD expressed how frustrated he was at the end of the game about how this kid was blocking wrong. (I didn't know the blocking rules until I googled them this afternoon.) You can't grab any part of the opponent, at all, or block with extended arms and here, this big guy is completely holding HD's shoulders. I see now why he was so frustrated! But he did a great job none-the-less!

They lost 7-12 but they all played great! Quite a few of his teammates were also first time football players too! I'm eager to see how both JP and HD progress this season!

Next game I'm wearing some rain boot because the wet grass we trudged through numerous times, were cold and wet by the end. And I'm probably bringing a backpack instead of a bag to carry stuff in. Definitely more blankets too! Though there was no rain, it's still pretty chilly at 8:00am! The slightest breeze turned me into a big baby, quick.