Wednesday, July 20, 2011

The 3rd Grade Draft

Before Tabor started playing football last year, I picture K-3 football being a bunch of little boys that were padded wider then they were tall... fumbling around.  I mean they are just little boys!!  Apparently, I was wrong.  I learned this right after we signed Tabor up last year when we learned that he had been wait listed, because they had sooo many boys sign up the first day, they didn't have enough coaches for them all.  Interesting.  Thankfully, they did eventually find the coaches needed for the extra kids and Tabor was able to play.  Then we got an email saying that "THE DRAFT" was the following week.  The draft??  For 2nd graders??  Seriously???  They are making our uncoordinated weeble wobbles... try out??!  Um.  Okay. 

And, honestly, it went about as well as I had expected it to.  Poor Tabor.  It was pitiful.  I'm his mommy and I love him no matter what... but there were few words for that particular performance. 

So let's fast forward to "The 3rd Grade Draft"  (an email I was expecting and waiting for this year).  It was held last night.   2 hours in 95 degree heat.  9 teams of 6 coaches had stations of obstacles they wanted each player to perform in order to adequately judge their abilities.  Each team's station was a little bit different, but most had the kids tackle a dummy, run several drills and then *try* to tackle a coach.  3 coaches helped the kids and 3 coaches sat and took notes on every kid at each station. 

The days leading up to the draft are nervous for us.  Tabor loves football now and we want so much for him to be decent.  Last year the coaches turned him into a good little player.  Not the best, but definitely far from the worst. This year I expected much of the same... or I hoped for much of the same. 

YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN MY BOY!!!  He blew it out of the water!!!  There were times where he tackled the dummy so hard that I could hear him hit it from 40 feet off the field.  Several times Rusty and I looked at each other, admittedly shocked.  "IS THIS OUR BOY?!!"  "DID YOU JUST SEE THAT?!!!" 

He looked so good!!!  I was soooooo proud of him.  I will even admit to tearing up a time or two.  My baby... he has come a long long way. 

Here are some *iPhone* pictures.  I have no clue what team he will go to or what order he got drafted in, but he left it all on the field.  I'm proud!!

This was his tryout for his team he was on last year.

Tackling the coach

He kept his feet moving and kept pushing forward for 10 yards!

Running Drill

Tackling the Dummy (which is supposed to be followed quickly with finding and  falling on the ball).

He hit it hard!! 

Going after the ball

Another team's tryout

45 yard dash

The last team's tryout... he was still going 2 hours later and in 95 degree heat!

Bear crawling

Of all the teams to get last... he got to END with the longest obstacle course.

3 comments:

  1. WooHoo way to go Tabor!!!!!! That is awesome!

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  2. I love it!!! Go Tabor, Go!!!

    It's so awesome when they pull it out of nowhere.

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  3. Hi honey. I just read the three latest blogs. You are a hoot! Dad and I are both so proud of you and the kids. I hope Tabor gets a team that will appreciate his work ethic. And your picture books are awesome. Good job. On another note, dad and I found a funny card about cooking and will mail it to you when you least expect it. You will say, "rude!" Ha Ha. We love you and Rusty and the kids.

    Mama Diane

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