Are you ready for some FOOTBALL?!?

There are times in life that pleasantly surprise you. Many people “talk” about character, but seldom do people follow through with their good intentions. At times it is difficult, because the temptations are just too great. If you not into football, no worries, this really isn’t about football, BUT if you are an avid football fan this will warm your heart.

Wednesday afternoon, not a cloud in the sky, about 75 degrees… a perfect afternoon for football. The cheerleaders are cheering, the crowd is yelling… DDMS has its first touchdown of the season, the crowd goes wild. It’s time for the extra point and out runs number 4 with a ponytail hanging out of the back of the helmet. The crowd is on its feet and the girls’ soccer team on the adjacent field instantly stops practice to cheer at the fence line. And the kick is good! Excitement in the air. At halftime, DDMS is winning 14 to 0. At halftime a coach walks #4 congratulating her on a job well done, with her helmet off, now everyone knows why the soccer team was excited. As the cheerleaders take the field, on the right side of formation there is a young girl, cheering, having the time of her life. She has the biggest smile and the brightest eyes. Shaking her pom poms a little off beat, and jumping a little behind the other girls, it soon becomes clear she is special needs. The rest of the girls don’t mind and when it’s time to build a pyramid, the young lady with the bright eyes twirls and cheers in front. Such a beautiful sight. At this point, I’m in awe of my son’s school… my heart is warmed by allowing a young female soccer player a place on the football field and allowing a special needs girl to live a dream. But my heart explodes halfway through the third quarter. My son is a starter on both sides of the line, he’s loved football since he was very young and although only an 8th grader has been playing football for his fifth year (not counting flag football at the Y when he was really little). So he plays most of every game, which is exciting for him, but the coaches of DDMS did something extraordinary in the middle of the 3rd quarter. With the score 21 to 0, they pull out all of their starters. As my son exits the field, I am filled with a sense of pride. There are people all around me who are on their feet. It is their sons’ first opportunity to stay in the game. They are excited and watching the numbers on jerseys wiz by. The starters on the sidelines are wild with excitement cheering on their team. There was a close call at the beginning of the 4th quarter when our team gets caught in the inzone allowing the other team a two point score. But the coaches are resolved. The starters stay on the side lines, cheering as the team wins their first game of the season 21 to 2. Everyone is ecstatic!

DDMS is a class act. They teach more than academics and the fundamentals of the sports. They teach character. It is a rare feat in this day.