Playoff Game #2

Again, my prayers for tonight. 

Play hard, play smart and keep it classy.

Prayers for health and strength. Prayers for sound minds and bodies. Prayers for comraderie and brotherhood. Prayers for support (loud and proud) from the fans, the parents, the students, the coaches and the alumni.  

Leave it all out there. You have put in the time and you have done the homework. This team knows each other as if you were brothers. Play like it! Have a great time. Enjoy the ride. And as always, I will be right here cheering for you. 

The Battle of the Bell

 It's game day!!! 

It is more than game day is Bell Day! One of the oldest rivalries in North Carolina history is the Battle of the Bell. Concord High plays AL Brown. Two of the oldest high schools in the same county in two different towns play football for bragging rights and a bell. A great big bell on wheels! 

This game is HUGE! My oldest was born on October 15, 2004. Traditionally this is the last game of the regular season. David was two weeks old and we took him to the Bell Game. He was bundled up in one of those kangaroo type carriers. I think there was a blanket on top of that. He had on a Spider beanie that was a baby gift.

He was so bundled up some people didn't even realize he was in there! We didn't stay for the entire game, it was that cold. But Concord won.

This year David gets to play in that game. It has been a week of spirit. Everyone has dressed up each themed day. My daughter is a JV cheerleader. She spent Monday (a teacher work day) decorating the school, it took the entire day! The Athletic Boosters have all but sold out of their spirit wear. Kids from other schools are coming to watch. Some of the football parents have had shirts made, just for this game. 

My hopes and prayers for last week were more anxious. While this game is important, the Spiders are heading into this game with some well earned confidence. Not the cocky, obnoxious type of confidence, the kind that comes from playing and praying with your teammates. The defensive line eats together every Thursday after practice. The offensive line won 'player of the week' in the Charlotte Observer. The varisty wears their jerseys and watches the JV team play. As a team after practice they sat on the hill and cheered for the soccer team, also SPC champions. And they cheered BIG!

I hope the Spiders have a great black and gold day at school. I hope they enjoy each other as the share a pregame meal. I hope they are happy and confident as they prepare for the bus ride across town. The stands will be packed. It will be loud, louder than last week and that was loud! But it will be fun. Embrace the fun, embrace the spirit of the Spiders and leave all you have out on that field. 

As I always say; play hard, play smart and keep it classy. Remember the faith you have in your team, the faith you have in your brothers. Go Spiders, bring home that bell! 

Spider Nation!

5:04pm October 22, 2021

I never played a team sport. As a kid and a young adult, I showed horses. And now I run. In both cases the results depend on me, I have no one to let down but myself. But I had horses that misbehaved, and I have had bad runs, so I understand loss. 

I remember showing my horse at a Regional Championship in Perry, Georgia. There were 60 horses in my class. They only picked the top five. My goal was just to look like I belonged. I was so nervous I couldn't watch the other horses warm up. I turned around and stared at the fence until it was time to get on. I am sure my horse felt my nerves. 

Our kids have played on teams that win, but most often their teams don't. And our kids lose with grace. They really are good losers! They manage to find the good in what they did, learn from it and move on. No one goes to bed mad because they lost. 

But tonight, the Concord Spiders play for the SPC conference championship. They are 5-0 in the conference. They have won more games this year than in the previous two combined. These boys work hard, they love each other and they lift each other up.

It is two hours until game time. I hope they are laughing in the field house. I hope they had a meal they all enjoyed. I hope some good music is playing. I hope they aren't as nervous as I am. I hope by the end of the night each and everyone of them can say they left it all out there. I hope they can say, "That was a good game." And as time goes on, I hope they remember how much fun they had. I hope they laugh about things they said and did. I hope they smile and tell people they bleed black and gold. I hope they say with pride, "I am a Spider."

I hope they all continue to hug me when they see me. I hope they always look up to their coaches. I hope they tell their kids how much being on a team like this meant to them. I hope their kids are the great sports these boys are. 

As parents if we learn anything from this, we learn that win or lose being part of a team is one of the greatest experiences of your life. We need to celebrate the love our child has for their team. And we all should remember supporting someone is one of the greatest gifts you can give them. 

Go Spiders! Play hard, play smart and keep it classy! I will be cheering for you. I will always be cheering for you.

10:51pm

And they won! It was a great game. The stands were packed. The band was great, the cheerleaders were great. And these boys left it all on the field. They earned the win. They will always remember this game, this season and these teammates. 

And now on to the Bell Game, and my wish is the same...

365 Days Ago

 March 13, 2020 was a Friday. Concord High had a baseball game, softball game and a women's soccer game; all at home. The weather was perfect for a spring evening in North Carolina. The crowds were larger than usual. And we had just been told we were all going home for two weeks. COVID had made its way to the US and Mecklenburg County, right next door. 

The JV boys played and no one went home. Everyone stayed to watch the Varsity play. While most kids do stay it was a Friday. There could have been plans, dates or get-togethers. But there were not. Everyone stayed to enjoy the weather and friends. 

The games ended and no one went home. The baseball coach talked to the crowd about his team and how much he enjoyed them. The seniors cried, would they get to play together again? High school seniors in white uniforms, dirty from sliding into bases, with their arms around each other like a chorus line simply holding on as long as they could. 

My son plays baseball so I know what happened on that field. I am sure there were other fields with similar stories. 

The last year has been hard. We have learned to roll with what comes at us. Some kids have flourished, some have suffered. I have both at my house. But that happens in life and we have to learn to roll with it, pick ourselves up and become better people. 

I have learned to hold my friends closer. I have learned that everyone is struggling. I have learned to show grace and kindness because this could be harder on someone than it has been on me. I have learned to do the best you can with what you have. I have learned to go outside just for the sake of breathing fresh air. I have learned to enjoy every game because it could the last. I have learned to walk instead of run.  

Thank you for the lessons, now it is time for COVID to move on. Get your shot, wear your mask, get up and move, enjoy your life.