Whether you are new to town or have been here your whole life, you probably know that we are coming into a time of year that is a big deal around here: Football Season! Whether it’s youth football leagues, Friday night high school games, college or the pros, we live in a place that loves all things football. And while we don’t want to start any fights by telling you who to cheer for, let’s talk about some of the reasons that we love football so much.
We have taken our own experience and talked to a bunch of moms from the area and there are some common themes that come up in why we love football so much. The first one is the camaraderie and bonding that happens with your team. Sure, it’s great when your son/daughter ends up on the same team with some of their best friends, but it’s always fun to watch a team come together throughout the season and to see new friendships formed. It gives your child a chance to meet new friends, to feel a sense of belonging and to work towards a common goal for the season. And let’s be honest, the same can happen for you, mom. In a world where we can feel more and more isolated, there’s something really fun about sharing an hour or two in the stands each week with other families, cheering everyone’s kids on.
Another great thing about football is that it gets our kids out and active. We are so fortunate to live in such a beautiful place with great opportunities to get out and move our bodies, but the pull of screen time is real. Between practices, games or just heading out into the yard, anytime that I can get the kids to put down the phones or video game controllers and go throw the football around in the backyard feels like a win. I also love that it is so accessible. While organized football has brought our family some great memories, some of my kids favorite football moments are grabbing a ball and rounding up a few kids in the neighborhood for a Saturday afternoon game.
Finally, I love that football has brought our family opportunities to learn and grow. While it’s easy to get caught up in the plays on the field and the score, our kids are learning important life lessons. They are learning things like how to be a good teammate, being coachable, and the importance of hard work and practice. They learn things like how great it feels to work hard and achieve your goal, and also the less fun, but more important lesson, that you aren’t going to win every time. The fact that they can learn these life skills while having fun with their friends is why we love football the most.
So if you are already a football family, we hope you have an amazing season. If you haven’t given football a try yet, we would encourage you to. Our area has such great programs for both boys and girls and even offers both tackle and flag options. If you are looking for more info, the resources section over on futureforfootball.com/resources is full of great information for parents, players and coaches. We hope to see you out on the fields this fall!
