But isn’t it all about football?

If we Americans analyzed our social problems as much as we analyze pro football, there would be no more AIDS, homeless people, or pregnant teens…

by wry twinger

 So true. And of course, hits home since what do I do on Sunday am? Turn on ESPN NFL countdown of course! Ah, human nature. So complex. And simple. Why do we love football so much? Heck, in my family it has become a multi-generational addiction at the Pop Warner level! The drama though. The challenge. The teamwork. It really is a parallel for life.  With a coach as SportsBoy has had, it really is magical to watch. Coach Wolfie gets in the huddle after practice and fires those boys up to the point that all the parents who are within earshot are ready to strap on pads are start hitting! And this weekend they face a double challenge. The same Oceanside team that last year was undefeated and unscored upon when we met them in week 9 – and that we defeated 6-0 in an epic game. That same group has moved up to Division 1 Jr Peewee too. This year they have not shown quite the same dominance, but those same very talented players on offense are there. The double challenge is the absence of Coach Wolfie. Yes, you see, Coach has another life. A day job actually. And he’s been sent to German for a client function that he could not get out of.  It happens to coincide with the Oceanside game and Coach is dying inside. Of course, he must be the responsible adult, but we all know how hard this weekend is going to be for him. You can bet that despite the time difference, he will be on the phone with the other coaches up until the end of that game. So this is a great test for the team. Again though – a parallel with life. We are often hit with time when key people in our lives cannot be there for us.  At work, we deal with things like maternity leaves and vacations and illness and the remaining team members must pull together to take on the extra work. At home, you can have the same sorts of things create a situation where someone needs to learn to cook on the fly or clean or shop or fill in the gaps as needed to keep the family team moving along.  Much like the talk I had with MM about a week ago pointing out to him how my days off are spent vs his and how I felt he needed to be doing at least one chore a day no matter what. Had to remind him that he is a member of our team after all and needs to help out 🙂 So I write him a note every morning with my greatest area of need and so far, he’s done very well which means that this weekend, maybe, I will have time to RELAX! Read a little again.

So yes, we over-analyze football. And yes, we should put as much energy/analysis into many many issues which would benefit greater segments of society.  But, sports has it’s place and can also be a great source of life lessons for us. If we just know which way to hold it up to the light 🙂