THE GREATEST GAME ON EARTH
I don’t think there is a high school
athletic experience that can rival a Friday
night football game. Even as a basketball
guy, I would admit that the most fun I ever
had was on the gridiron. There was always
something exciting about the cool fall air,
the blaring music on the loud speaker, and
the huge crowds that fill most high school
stadiums in Maine. I will never forget the
experience of playing Biddeford at
Waterhouse Field and having 4000 fans taunt
us before each snap. They were so crazy back
then. And it wasn’t just the varsity teams
that Tiger fans went after. I once got
heckled by an elderly Biddeford man after
losing an eighth grade game at Waterhouse. I
was walking to the bus with a friend and the
man yelled, “Hey, why don’t you bring your
freshmen team down here and we will beat
them too.” It was intimidating, but I loved
it. What I would do for just one more game.
We didn’t make the playoffs my senior year
and that really stung. We had only lost two
games the previous two seasons so not making
the playoffs at a school where that never
happened was very humbling. Especially when
you are a captain and the teams quarterback.
Like most teams, I heard all the people
yelling and screaming to change the QB. But
I also knew it came with the territory. Most
people have a limited understanding of the
game. In fact, unless you played it, there
is a good chance you really don’t know what
is going on. It’s a complicated game. It
requires eleven people simultaneously doing
their job. It is the ultimate team sport.
That’s really what makes it such a special
game.
At some point, usually not too long after
and game, the pain of losing goes away and
all you remember is the time you spent with
your teammates. From the steaming hot days
of double sessions to the cool Friday nights
in October, a season is a journey that has
many peaks and valleys. For sure there will
be days when you want to quit but there will
be many others where you wouldn’t trade the
experience in for anything.
That has sort of become our mission the last
few weeks of the season. We want our kids to
remember why they played this game to begin
with. For the seniors, it is most likely the
last football games they will ever play. We
want them to go out there and make a big
hit, recover a fumble, record a sack, or if
lucky enough, score a touchdown. But most
importantly we want them to play with some
energy, play together and give it everything
they’ve got. After all, in the end, it is a
very rewarding experience to lay it on the
line, win or lose, so long as you do it
together.
I think the coaches need to have fun as
well. That’s why we do what we do. We have
awesome kids at Windham. I have said that
for 11 years. Each team I have coached, I
have fond memories of. Some teams were
better then others on the score board, but I
have loved them all the same. Just because
we only have one win, doesn’t mean there
isn’t something to take from this group. I
would gladly go to battle any day of the
week with guys like Artie Winship, Nate
Johnson, Travis Guerrette, or David Ingraham.
They are unselfish, team guys. Not to say we
don’t have many others, but these are just a
few I have had the privilege of coaching
directly.
I think our fans need to keep things in
perspective. There are several players who
give everything they’ve got each week and we
should all celebrate that. I can appreciate
as much as anybody the arm chair
quarterbacking that goes on, and can even
understand the second guessing of coaches. I
think that is part of being a fan. God knows
I do it. But what I can’t accept, is
negatively calling out kids. As a coach,
I am constantly aware of my own behavior.
There have been many times, and Deb McAfee
our school principal points them out to me,
that I have been embarrassed about my
behavior on the sidelines. I need to become
better at modeling the right behavior.
Sportsmanship is very important and adults
need to be role models. I think as a
community, we need to be more gracious in
victory and defeat. I have heard horror
stories about fan behavior at field hockey
and soccer games, youth games, and have
certainly heard my share at football games.
Sometimes they even yell directly at me.
Bottom line, it is bad for our school,
community and most importantly our kids.
The funny thing about my experiences at
Waterhouse field many years ago is I can
still remember it like yesterday. I think I
have even seen that old man still lurking
near the concession stand each time I go
there. I am still kind of afraid of him. But
it always reminds me of how much fun playing
football was and how I wouldn’t trade those
days in for anything. So I think all of us -
players, coaches, and fans - need to do our
part to make these last couple of games as
memorable for these kids as we possible.
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