Adrenaline Cocktail

Yes, indeed, over the river and through the woods to the state championship football game, for an adrenaline cocktail, with a testosterone chaser.People from our school kept passing me on the highway. That did not help my anxiety level.

The steady texting of game related adrenaline boosters while driving jacked up my anxiety level at a pretty steady rate. Don't text and drive at the same time, they say it's really dangerous. I wouldn't know. I was talking on the phone, not even considering a text message or even 35 text messages. Plus, I had to stay in my lane, and keep my Diet Coke from sloshing all over me. Uptick on the anxietyI was stuck in traffic and I didn't want to miss . .

. . . this bunch of totally blown-away-with-excitement parents, lining up in the stadium to watch our boys walk in one more time. For the parents of seniors, that would be one LAST time. I thnk I get to feel this nervous a few zillion more times.

No shortage of adrenaline in the stands either.

But the boys? What about the team? They're down there somewhere.Some moms are pretty excited.
La Petite Jockette made the trip, for the thrill of it.

All week, Coach Bobby was sending us emails telling us about how to keep the boys on task, to make wise choices, to represent the school well, to keep things in perspective, to play with integrity.

From Coach Bobby, they were playing "just one more game..." very low on the excite-o-meter. Coach Bobby told us that no matter what the score, these guys were already champions. We already know that, but I feel certain the guys didn't share that sentiment at this particular moment. They wanted to PROVE IT, by total domination.

I heard them rumbling before I saw them, in the visitor's locker room, waiting for the moment to prove they are the best. These young men were a seething mass of testosterone and pure joy. Joy at being here. Joy at what they planned to do. Joy at how awesome they are. They know it deeply, they are totally convinced of it.
We, the parents, were adrenaline-fueled nervous energy, confidence, hope and the dread that we could actually lose. Maybe. Lose. This. Game. Could I frame a loss so that he learns from it, gains maturity and perspective? Could we help them understand that they are already champions? Would they ever understand that one game does not define a season? Would they believe that simply winning this game could not make them Masters of the Universe for life? OK..."What if we lose? How long is THAT ride home going to be?" The rumbling, jittery mass became a moving line of beastly young men, cleats on concrete, clapping, and more rumbling.
They received the blessings of their parents one more time.
And they began as they always do. Helmets off, they started with the prayer. Just one more game.