Sports kept us busy this Fall. There was football for Cameron (of course), swimming for Hannah, and baseball and cross country for Christian.
Cameron played on the Varsity team and was the first string (maybe the only string) long snapper. He also got a little playing time as a tight end. The season had its ups and downs but mostly downs. It started with the 7 on 7 games during the summer. Cameron attended every practice and worked his butt off only to stand on the sidelines of those games. As the school year began, Cameron continued to attend every practice, work his butt off while keeping his grades up (most players did not) and he continued to spend most of his time on the sideline. There were times when he would come home quite discouraged. The coaches would tell the kids they could not play if they were not passing, but they still did. The coaches also said that the reward for working hard was playing time, but that did not prove to be true in Cameron's case. But despite all this, Cameron did not want to quit and remained loyal to the team.
I made the mistake of watching a bit of practice on a couple occasions, and I was appalled at how the coaches talked to the players and the language they used. So, it was not surprising when at the game against our neighboring school, a fight broke out that included not only players, but coaches and parents as well. One of the Marcos's players hit one of his own coaches! The fans were told to leave, and we figured they would call the game and the players would be right behind us. But it was a long time before Cameron got home. When he got home, he told us they finished the game and they won. They received a police escort to the bus and back to the school. Yep, this is the school we are sending our kids to. Not only were we not informed that the game would continue, but we never heard a word from the coach and nothing much was said to the players. We did hear from the principal though. She received an email from Chuck that warranted a phone call, not just a reply to the email. Fortunately, we never again saw the player or his mom that were the most involved. Unfortunately, the coaching staff remained and nothing seemed to change.
I do admire Cameron's dedication and drive when it comes to football. And I love that he has a passion. The biggest high of the season came when he was nominated for the All-Region 1st Team! The players are selected by the other coaches in the region. So, he might not get recognized by his coaches but other coaches are noticing him.
Hannah started out the Fall season wanting to play volleyball. She went to 2 days of try outs and had a horrible experience. I will never really know what happened, but in addition to not being very good, she said the coach was mean and things seemed really disorganized. I convinced her to join the swim team (there were no tryouts because the team is so small) and she ended up loving it! I loved it too. She did not have to sit thru study hall, the bus was always back at school when it was scheduled to be, and she was always home for dinner. In addition, the coaches were respectful to the kids and the kids got along with the swimmers from other teams, they encouraged each other and re-connected with friends they went to grade and elementary school with. Basically, it was the complete opposite of football.
Hannah was awarded the most improved swimmer award. She also lettered, which is unusual for a first-year swimmer. She showed so much dedication and drive. At the awards banquet, her coach said that Hannah would work to the point of pain and that most kids did not really get there until their junior year (if ever). We are so proud of her!
