Years ago Grandma Nilsen told me that there would be days like this...busy boys playing sports and filling their time with activities that make them stink!This fall Nathan and Eli are playing football for their middle school. Here in Erie, PA the middle school football program is quite competitive and taken very seriously. The boys practice and study football at least 15 hours a week plus games and travel time. They have a very dedicated volunteer football coach who is a local police officer for the city of Erie, Coach Dahlstrand. He is committed to making sure that the boys on the team not only learn to play a competitive sport but that they are also successful at balancing school and sports at the same time. (some kind of a parent's dream!)
The only drawback to football season is that in the northeast it can be freezing in the fall. Poor Dave went to a game on Wednesday (the night this picture was taken) and came home a human version of a chocolate fudgsicle. BUT in spite of the cold, freezing rain, and snow we do LOVE to watch the boys play and while our Nilsen genes do not produce tall, overly large boy-men it is still amazing how big they look with all the gear on.
So, Grandma Nilsen you were right when you told me that I would love this time in our family's life. It is precious and while it might be filled with stinky laundry and shoes I am a true believer in the good of physical sports for most boys!
