Most Friday
nights you can find me, and several hundred folks, cheering on our local high
school football team. This is one of my favorite events. I don’t write about
sports very often as you know. I tend to lean towards the arts and humanities
with poetry and theatre. But, there is that other side of me that loves local
sports with local kids.
Unfortunately,
it didn’t come from my own personal experience. Often, I wonder, would I have
been good at sports? Would that have been my life as opposed to the arts. Then
I actually laugh out loud. Probably not. Then again, there really were not that
many sports, high school sports, available to girls growing up decades ago. Oh
sure, we had gym class where we had to wear those awful bloomers that snapped
up. Anyone else remember those? I guess that was as sporty as I could ever get
unless one could count roller skating (not roller blading), or hopscotch or
walking on stilts! (Now that one did take some skill, did it not?) I loved ice
skating though, and I was really good. As good as I could be without lessons or
a team…just that pure joy of skating under the stars.
My boys loved
sports. My boys needed sports. Even though there was a farm to ramble on day
after day, sports were great for them. I learned a lot dealing with all those sports
and washing all those uniforms. I never missed a game…home or away. That’s what
moms do. We cook for the teams, cheer them on, wash uniforms, drive them to
practice week after week. Dads too.
I love watching
Jonah skate. He is still a whiz on the ice, but this year the focus is on
Graham. The first time I met Graham, he hopped into the front seat of my Jeep
and said, “Hi, Nannie.” He was just a little guy and too small for the front
seat. He has played sports all his school life…football and baseball. I have
tried to get to most of the home games and this year, his senior year, is no
exception. Friday nights finds our family and friends locked into the third row
of the bleachers. I go early to the games. I like to go early. I like to see
all the folks attending, listen to the band warm up, watch the players take
those last few laps on the field before the game.
The home games
are, of course, the best. The crowds are large and everyone is happy to be
there with anticipation of a good game and maybe even a win! This has been a
terrific year for Angola which makes it even more fun.
There are other
joys in the football game. The weather is cooler. The sky starts out azure blue
and by the time the game is over, we have donned sweatshirts under an inky
black sky. Not only is there football to watch with our local kids, but the
cheerleaders and the band call for our attention also. The cheerleaders are
happy and work their magic with the crowd. They are as much a part of the
evening as the boys. The other magical component is watching the marching band
perform during halftime. As halftime approaches, the band is lining up ready to
show us all their talents. I really cannot imagine playing an instrument and
marching in all directions and in formation. Angola’s marching band is an
absolute joy this year. They are basing it on fireflies. There is artwork lined
up on the field which has a Van Gogh quality. I am really drawn to this year’s
theme…maybe it is the fireflies or the sparkly dresses of the girls or maybe it
is the beautiful flute solo by Elise Hickman that fills the stadium with pure
sweetness. How do they mic that sound? I
also heard Angola’s band received a gold in competition on Saturday.
Congratulations to all of them and their hard work.
There is only
one more home game left for the Hornets this year. It is on Friday night. It is
serendipitous for me. I have watched two generations of my kids play for
Angola. Graham is the last. When the lights go out, another generation will
take over.
If you have
been wanting to attend a game, this is your chance. I’ll even save you a seat. I
will be the one with the cowbell. See you there.
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