Feature Stories Realignment

On the pages of this magazine, you will see some great teams made up of great athletes. Truly talented people who have honed their skills through many hours of practice, working out, studying, proper nutrition, and, on some level, luck. They have achieved the highest level of athletics…VARSITY. And what is the pinnacle of varsity sports for Texan young men? Varsity Football.

How did they reach this lofty goal? For most, the journey starts early, involves a hardy work ethic and includes a strong support system. Many of these high achieving athletes don’t just start out playing football and only football, they are multisport athletes. Three-year-old soccer is often the first sport children participate in, allowing them to get a feel for team dynamics. While not much takes place in regards to the technicalities, strategies, or even adhering to the rules of soccer, they get the opportunity to don uniforms and play together on a 30-yard field, complete with tiny goals. As they chase each other on the field and gather together for snacks, they are learning valuable skills. Parents also get the joy of driving to and from practice and sitting on the sidelines in all kinds of weather as their child follows other children huddled around the ball. This kind of soccer is a must-see if you haven’t already. Four-year-olds have the opportunity to play sports like t-ball, a sport that also involves uniforms, a field, some semblance of attempting the rules of the game and a time commitment. For example, every now and then someone gets out. Plus, snacks. Snacks are also included because those are important too. The skills they learn in t-ball can help when they advance to kid pitch baseball at 8 or 9 years of age, having a better idea of what a baseball diamond looks like, where the bases are located, and what order to run them in. They work on pitching with accuracy, batting at unpredictable pitches, and how to limp down to fist after getting hit with a wild pitch. Four-year-olds are also able to start participating in gymnastics/tumbling. These are great training for the future on how to fall/roll correctly when a linebacker lights you up across the middle.

Once children reach five or six years of age, they advance to basketball, complete with 8-foot hoops, and attempts at both offense and defense. The primary objective for most is to try and find the guy with the same color armband. Expectations aren’t high, neither are the scores, but still you talk through wins and losses and how to navigate the emotions that come with them. I once coached a game where we lost 2-0.

Flag football also begins around this time, usually consisting of one fast guy who outruns everyone else for a touchdown every time he gets his hands on the ball. He is also the one who pulls 90% of the flags on defense and, in case you haven’t already guessed it, yes, his dad is the coach and yes, he has an older brother.

Another sport that starts at this age is swim team. Swimming is a life skill and can, and should, be learned by all from an early age. Swim team is an entirely different beast, requiring a lot from both participants and parents. It demands a major commitment as swim meets start early, go all day (8+ hours) and never seem to have enough volunteers. Parents often end up timing the races and run the risk of missing the short spurt of time their child is in the pool. While swimming itself is an important life skill, it’s also an excellent form of exercise that is different from high impact sports like football.

These are just a few examples. You also have track/cross country aiding athletic progression as kids learn how to run faster and farther. Lacrosse has made great strides as a sport in Texas and is used by many football players to help develop ball handling, pursuit angles, toughness, teamwork and more. Men’s volleyball is an up-and-comer and it will be interesting to see how the UIL comes up with a process for the fall season. Golf and tennis are both lifetime sports that can be played for decades and can help with reaction times and precision. That being said, those who play golf and/or tennis don’t often go on to play football. By the time boys enter their freshman year of high school, they have had a wide variety of experiences under their belt and can build on their wealth of knowledge, growing leaps and bounds at the sub-varsity level. As the boys turn into men, the game gets a lot more violent and that is where the pretenders decide to take off the pads and not get hit “like that” again. The young men who make it to the varsity level have endured many collisions and keep getting up, tightening their chin straps, and going back in.

This whole journey requires help, guidance, support, financing, and more. Thanks to all the coaches, trainers, therapists, friends, and family members who allow these athletes to participate as well as they do. A special thanks, and a tip of the cap, to all the parents who have made your athletes participation possible. Your sacrifices have been worth it. I hope that this season exceeds your expectations and that you build lifetime memories to share with your grandkids someday, reminiscing about “that one time dad made the game-winning touchdown”, or “made that game-saving block”. Much success and stay healthy.