WONDEROAK

If you’re wondering if it’s worth it…

It is.

It will require a lot of you, and it will require a lot of your athlete too.

There will be early morning drives sipping last minute Starbucks, willing yourself awake.

There will be late night drives in traffic jams and hideously long lines at In & Out and Canes.

There will be forgotten jerseys and forgotten cleats and rushing to the nearest sports store to get a new mouth guard.

There will be bonus kids crammed in your car with road trip shenanigans.

There will be bad smells…so many bad smells. There will be pads and jerseys and socks and gloves and girdles. And you will hug them anyway when they’re covered in sweat and stench.

There will be emails. So many emails, and texts, and sign ups.

There will be coaches that will shape them.

There will be sports friends that become sports family.

There will be wins that are so hard fought, it will be better than any professional game you’ve ever seen.

There will be losses. Losses that gut them (and you), and those losses will raise them right.

There will be losses off the field too. They will grapple with unforeseen challenges and obstacles. They may mourn tragedies. They may face grief.

But if they lean on each other, they will make it through, and you will be more proud than you ever thought possible.

You will get tired sometimes.

But you will never want it to end.

And one day it will.

As much as you try to stop it.

It will.

And I can tell you now, you will know it was the most precious gift. You will know that you would give up every weekday evening, Saturday morning, and Friday night all over again just for one more game…

With those kids, those coaches, on that field…and with those parents.

To watch them do what they love, with their brothers or sisters by their side.

Because they left their blood sweat and tears here, and you did too.

Because life will go on, but what happened on the field and the bleachers will stay forever.

Love

A Sports Mom

The morning after the last Friday Night Lights.

Written by Jess Johnston