Finally!

The long, cold summer is over, and now we can all bask in the warmth that is…..football season. In our house, the season has started in more ways that one. Michael recently started his football season, which is a flag football league sponsored by the NFL, and run by our newly-formed local football organization, Five Town Football.

As many of you may know, I offered to ‘help out’, which apparently means ‘coach my own team’. So going in, both Michael and I were nervous. He was worried about having to wear a mouthpiece, I was worried about being ridiculed by a bunch of 6 year-olds.

As it turns out, we’re both having a great time. Michael loves running around and pulling the other kids flags, and could care less about getting to run the football. The freedom that coaching gives me to berate and beat the other kids has spared my kids that fate, since I’m usually spent by the time I get home from practice.

We’ve had two games, and while it’s difficult to get these kids to focus for more than 30 seconds at a time, they’re doing well, and they now know a whole two plays (out of the same formation). I plan to install the West Coast Offense this week, and we’ll see how that goes. Michael's line for this past weekend's game was 1 rush, 6 yards, 2 sacks on defense. Not too shabby.

Below are some preliminary photos from the first practice and game, with more to come if I can convince Sal to bring the camera this weekend. Oh, and by the way, if you thought that there was anything funnier than 30 kids trying to do jumping jacks, you’re wrong.

By the way, in an effort to raise money for equipment, buses, etc., FTF is having a raffle. Here’s how it works: you buy a ticket (or multiple tickets!) for $10. Your ticket is entered in a drawing each week to win $100, and there’s no limit to how many times you can win. If you win in week one, you can still win in every week after that (I think there are nine drawings total). During the last week, if your ticket is drawn you win $500 (I need to check on that). All told, you can make 140 times your investment for just $10.

I have a book of tickets just waiting to be gobbled up, so jot down in the comments of this post that you’re interested, and I’ll send you a ticket (or tickets) while you send me a check. If not, then I’ll just mark you down as a football-hating commie bastard, no biggie.




Here's Michael getting into the spirit of the game (note hand on crotch).

Jumping jacks.

More jumping jacks.

Michael is the one with the white shirt and the flags.

You should know that the play is long over, and yet he's still running around.

Play over, still running.

And this is what Enzo does while Michael plays. Brilliant.