The Philosophy of Football

With September being the start of football season all across the country, I penned my thoughts on the sport when my sons began playing. Despite the ongoing controversies in the NFL, I still like football and think it benefits young boys tremendously. This piece originally appeared in the September, 2003, issue of Memphis Parent.



My childhood was immersed in football. Both my brothers played, and my dad whooped and hollered in our living room every time the Redskins were on TV. I was even a cheerleader. So being the mother of five sons, one might think I had an inkling of football in my future. I didn’t, however, and it wasn’t until two of my boys decided to play one year that I became aware of the intensity of the sport. Not just the physicality on the field, but the dedication that goes into practice as well.

My high schooler, for instance, had summertime workouts five days a week. They were considered optional until August 1, but those who wanted to be ready for that first kick-off were there. At summer’s end came a week of two-a-days, then with the start of school, practice until 6:00 p.m., Monday-Friday. My ten-year-old also practiced five nights a week, even during school until the season starts. Football jerseys, I've concluded, are earned.

In my early years of parenting, I would have immediately dismissed the possibility of so much busyness. I can hear myself debating, “Driving kids to practice every night? Pads cost how much?” and thinking parents who do it must be out of their minds. I even plead guilty to raising my eyebrows at my football mom friends as I witnessed how much money and time they invested in the sport during the season—to say nothing of the risks of injury I thought they were taking. I’m afraid I have to call time out and take it all back; as now that I have become one of them—a football mom—my eyes have been opened to the impact this sport can have on the lives of kids.

From the stands, or the living room, football appears to only be about winning, loosing and hitting. But to the participants—be they players, parents or coaches—football is about teamwork and reaching goals. It is local business owners supplying everything from ice to gear, and booster clubs that transform mild mannered mothers into fund raising maniacs. Football is about coaches who offer kids a physical slap on the back or a verbal kick in the pants-whichever is needed most at the time. It’s washing muddy practice jerseys Monday through Friday and helping at carwashes on Saturdays. Football is parents working together and setting an example that in turn, encourages kids to work together.

For years my boys have played soccer, baseball and basketball and received a lot in return. But never have they participated in a sport that required so much from them—strength of body as well as mind. Football has expanded their boundaries and changed their whole concept of being a team player. "I've never seen such team work," my oldest son stated shortly after joining the team, "I didn't even know it existed."

Football coaches speak a language that mothers just don’t speak—or sometimes shouldn’t speak, my son reminded me with a knowing grin. Nevertheless, coaches give a constant reminder to my boys of their capabilities, and that football is about excelling. He teaches them that goals are reached yard by yard, and dedication and discipline are two key ingredients to achievement.

"How was it?" I asked my ten year old as he exited the field after practice.
"Great! I wanted to tackle and I wanted to be tackled; I got to do both."
You can learn a lot about life from football. Sometimes you tackle—hit hard but play fair. Sometimes you get tackled—roll with it and get back up. Stay positive, even when you’re losing. Be a team player. Push yourself beyond that which you think you are capable. When you fumble—and you will—own up to it, but finish the game.

Football is not just a sport, it’s a philosophy. It’s a way of thinking that is steered by grit and staying power; a state of mind that champions perseverance and determination. Being a football mom has convinced me the positives of the sport far outweigh the negatives. And the philosophy of football is one that I hope my boys carry with them years after they've left the field.