He'll Always be My Champion!

     This weekend Nate played in his football league's Super Bowl. The culmination of a long, hard season full of practices, games, sprints, hitting drills, running plays, wins and losses. A trip to the Super Bowl is the coveted prize and is always much anticipated by the players and the parents. The boys get to play at the local university, which makes it even more special. Unfortunately, Nate's team lost 6-0 in a hard fought game. Nate, however, had the game of his life! He had two sacks, several tackles and caught two passes, both for first downs! It brings such joy to our hearts to see our son succeed in what he has worked so hard for. As proud as I was to watch his performance last night, I am even more proud of his perseverance throughout the entire season. Football is a long season. It begins in early August and doesn't end until the middle of November. These kids practice and play in the scorching heat and in the bitter cold several days a week. They work hard! I am so pleased with how Nate handled a heavy practice schedule while balancing all of his other responsibilities. He always finished his homework and maintained excellent grades. I am also super proud of Nate's behavior on and off the field. He was always respectful to his coaches and fellow teammates. He was encouraging and the first to give "high fives" after tough drills even when he was tired himself. He played hard every game, worked hard at practice and would watch film of himself to see where he could improve. After a tough loss in the Super Bowl, he still had a smile on his face, thanked his coaches for their dedication and hard work, and even went over to the coaches of the other team and congratulated them on their win. I am very impressed with my son and my husband who helped instill into Nate this valuable work ethic and respect. Win or lose, I couldn't be more proud of how Nate handled himself this season and how he has grown as a player, but more importantly, as a person.