Devin gets a T-shirt

Big deal, huh? But this t-shirt is special; not like any other t-shirt because it is given out to the midget football players for recognition of hard work and dedication. On the last practice day of the week, the coaches decide who gets shirts. They give out about 3 each week to recognize special efforts. The boys really look forward to this and many boys work hard to try to get one. Devin had not gotten his yet (every boy eventually gets a shirt and you can only get one). So on Wednesday night, he was all business. Cheering from the sidelines, pumping the defensive line up and getting all worked up. He made 2 quarterback sacks that night and several other tackles. This was probably one of his best practices to date and he wanted his shirt. I was getting ready to leave (I had the dogs in the car because I had come directly from agility classes) when one of his coaches came over and told us not to leave. They got the boys in their end of practice huddle and the Head Coach had the shirts in his hand. He describes why the particular boy is getting one without giving a name out and then says the name and the group erupts into cheers for that kid. It's really cool to watch. Devin was the first to get recognized and the group was very loud in recognition of Devin's efforts - he was really happy.

I think midget football is a great outlet for boys with a lot of energy but more important - it teaches life lessons which is the primary reason we insist that Devin play sports. Laziness is not tolerated, hard efforts are rewarded, self-confidence is developed.