This BLOG is sponsored by “Misty Hollow Carving”. You are welcome to visit Misty Hollow and see all of my carvings.
My Web Site is a like a Gallery – please drop in for a stroll through.
To help me promote my Web Site please copy this URL address and email to someone today http://www.murraylincoln.com/
* * * * * * * *
Today’s Blog Post
Yesterday I witnessed a deep act of love. No, No, not the mushy kind of Movie Love stuff… but real love, respect and encouragement. It happened in two areas and on one field.
Yesterday was our grandson Clifford’s playoff level Football Game. It was a major game for his team and for him personally. All that he has done so far, in getting better and better, has brought him to this point.
Clifford’s team is the Junior Lions from Adam Scott High School in Peterborough, Ontario. A few days ago on Nov 5, 2010, Clifford’s Team won the Trophy for this area – beating all the other teams to earn a spot to play Holy Cross High School that day – and then winning that game.
This winning streak brought them to the next level which required them to play in Belleville, Ontario yesterday against the best school from the Quinte Area, Moira High School and the Trojans.
Our van load of excited and willing to cheer relatives of Clifford Lindsay, and a Grandma of another boy on the team, crowded together for the long drive to Belleville for this important game.
A quick synopsis of the game (from Grandpa’s point of view) is easy.
The Junior Lion’s Defence played their heart out stopping many important plays that the Moira Trojan football team could throw at them. That happened for the entire game… except for a couple of tough plays where the Trojans made 6 points and then another 6 points – making it 12 all together. Believe me it could have been higher… much higher – but the Defence stopped the Trojans.
The Junior Lions Offence kind of fell apart. For the entire 60 minutes while the Defence worked so hard… the Offence couldn’t work up or out enough energy to get any points at all.
The final score was “12 to 0” for the Moira Junior Trojans over the Adam Scott Junior Lions.
Now where does the “love” come in?
As the family sat cheering and roaring and clapping and hoping and doing whatever we could to make it happen for Clifford’s Team… his dad Bruce could not sit still. Instead Bruce just had to walk back and forth along the edge of the field from one end to the other while the huge audience sat at the edge and cheered the teams on.
Bruce is a pacer. He cannot sit still. He loves his son too much and cares way too much for what is happening out there.
Why does a dad do this?
The only thing that I can imagine is that he is and was Clifford’s main and only coach until Clifford joined the Football Team (or the other Teams). Bruce D. Lindsay was Clifford’s main coach and always will be! He has spoken words of encouragement and offered words of advice steadily to his son since he was born. And Bruce does the same for his daughter Emma in everything she does.
That is what Coach Dad does best!
Now there is a little humour in what was happening yesterday. Bruce was not the only person pacing the sidelines – walking/pacing/prancing back and forth up and down the sidelines… so were dozens of other dads and moms!!!!
No kidding! When I looked down to the sidelines from the bleachers that we were sitting in I counted two, then three, then twenty, then so many that I lost track. Right in front of us there were at least 15 in a 20 foot section. When the number of concerned Daddy and Mommy Coaches increased to the point that they could no longer walk or pace because they would lose their place close to their son’s playing… they stood side by side and cheered, yelled, bellered, whatever they could to get the team going.
Now I need to point out that the Coach Parents were from BOTH sides of the Football Struggle.
Most of the Coach Parents were men… all except for one person. This person was a Coach Mom dressed in a black, three quarter length leather coat, with leather pants and with high heal leather boots on. This gal couldn’t stop pacing. Every time her son(one of the Trojans) did something her long camera lens captured shot after shot of her star!
And she didn’t stop and take care of just one spot when it got crowded… she kept walking up and down!
My wife Alida shook her head and said, “I wonder if that lady knows what she looks like?”
The Coach Daddies along with this Coach Mom couldn’t stop – they loved their kids so much and understood so well what could make the plays better… they just couldn’t stop. No, No, No, NO!
A number of times I stopped watching the game and just watched the effort being applied from these volunteer coaches.
Now the fact that the “real coaches” made some obvious bad decisions, these Dads and Mom never let that fact slip away as they offered advice from the sideline!
“Come ON Coach, what’s the matter with your head? Give the guy the opportunity! Wake up on the sidelines for Pete’s sake!!!” one exasperated dad yelled at the top of his lungs!
Obviously the “real coach” could not or had not discovered this Dad’s son’s ability!
The love of these Coach Dads and Mom was almost overpowering. These people really cared… that’s why they didn’t really care what I (or anyone else) might have thought!
Now that is LOVE!
At the end of the game the teams had received their medals and the trophy. They were leaving the field.
My grandson Clifford was walking towards us slowly. It was then that Phillip, one of Clifford’s friends stepped forward from the seat that he occupied in the stands and walked directly to Clifford – intent to meet Clifford at the sideline.
Phillip got there before Bruce.
Now before I tell you the rest… you need to meet Phillip. Phillip is in College now doing very well. Clifford first met him when Clifford just started Football about five years ago. Phillip was one of his coaches on that very young team. And since that time Phillip has come to almost every game that “his guys” are playing.
Phillip is kind of like an older brother. But then he is like a mentor and role model too. Phillip is reaching Clifford in ways that Grandpa and Dad can’t.
In front of the hundreds of students and parents Phillip stood talking intently to Clifford, looking him right in the eyes. Clifford stood looking at him and was taking every word in – missing nothing. Then Phillip did something very special, he gave Clifford a big hug and held him tight in front of all of us… and kept talking to him as he held him.
I have no idea what Phillip said… but as they parted… in true football style… the two guys bowed their heads and then gently bunted heads.
Behind Phillip stood Bruce watching it all… and Grandpa in the bleachers with a lump in his throat.
Clifford had played his heart out and done so well. Yet his team had lost. Now Phillip spoke the needed words to another young man that needed to hear them.
I have another lump growing in my throat now as I think of the scene over and over again.
Earlier Phillip had shared with me, “On all the teams that I have played we have never played a Championship Game…”
But yet… Phillip understood – because Phillip’s team lost!
Phillip is the son of the Fireman Lloyd… who just happens to be one of the most amazing Coaches that I have ever watched. Lloyd also coached Clifford and this year he coached Emma’s Team through to the victory that they had.
Now this Grandpa wishes to go on record by saying this next statement out loud… Are you ready?
Clifford Lindsay may go on and play many more games… which may be successful or not… BUT MORE than all that, he has become, and is becoming a great leader of guys as well. After all he is the leader of his Defence Squad and he is the one that encourages other boys now!!!
MY prediction is that Clifford will be one of the best Coaches ever… even if he is a High School Teacher, a Policeman, a Doctor, a Lawyer or an Aboriginal Chief. And that will happen because of Coach Dad and Coach Lloyd and Coach Phillip!
On the Sideline Yesterday…
Yesterday and for many games, a few of Clifford’s friends have been standing faithfully at the sidelines of each game. Some have played and others have not. But they dress up and stand there... they cheer… they stamp their feet and they are part of the team.
The other Grandma that travelled with is to the game didn’t see her Grandson play at all. In fact this Grandson is fairly new to the game and is on the bench all the time.
Clifford encourages him… and few of the other boys that have kind of got a little close to the bad stuff in High School life.
Now the parents of these boys love having Clifford come over and be part their son’s life.
Nope Clifford’s team didn’t win… and Clifford felt bad… but Clifford did win… and so did Coach Dad… and so did Grandpa Lincoln… and Grandpa Lindsay as he reads this.
Who would ever have thought about football having LOVE in it… ooops that should read RESPECT and ENCOURAGEMENT!
~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/
1 comment:
I think the trick about coaching football is finding which players you can depend on in the first few games and then believing in them the rest of the way. The Adam Scott coaches did the first part. But not the second part.
For example, one boy was named captain of the defence then switched to offence after the first game. The coaches could see that he just wasn't that strong on defence, even though he looked good in practice.
In the Kawartha Championship win, one boy, the quarterback, had a very strong game. In the next few days, the coaches made him the kick-off guy and gave him more and more responsibility. They switched other guys from the positions they had practiced for months and put some players in who they thought would do better. In the end, a whole bunch of guys looked unfamiliar with what they were expected to do. The quarterback had a very poor game, too much pressure. And the team looked beaten.
In hindsight, instead of tinkering, it would have been best for the coaches to tell the team, "We believe in you. Now, believe in yourself. You know what your jobs are. Go out there and do your thing!"
Coach Bruce
Post a Comment