Football Heroes

On Sunday we play the last of this year’s Scouting Flag Football games. This is a series of games throughout the school year that pits the adult leadership of the troop against the boy leaders. We have a large troop and as a result the boy leadership is almost entirely comprised of High School Students including several cross country and lacrosse team members. The adults, however, are mostly old and were never athletes.

The scouts look forward to these games. They think that playing is an honor or privilege. It is a chance for the boys to take a whack at one of their mentors (or as they like to think a tormentor). This game was added because one of the boys did not get invited to past games (not having a leadership position) and felt slighted enough to question whether he should remain a scout. Shortly thereafter he was added to the leadership (not because of the threat) and another game was added.

The adults look at this with a different perspective. We enter these games with a single goal; survival. However, once the game begins (always with the boys getting the ball first) we play to win (and often do).

Usually the adults are outnumbered by up to two youth to every one of our players. This works to our advantage as they get in their own way.

The boys arrive a half an hour early to the games. They warm up and practice secret plays. The adults arrive at the appointed time. We do minimal warm ups and save all energy for the game. The boys huddle to formulate plays. The adults huddle up only to gasp for air.

The boys play “Boys to Man” defense and swarm after us. The adults play zone. We make them come to us. If the play is on the other side of the field it is our turn to rest.

The boys use speed and energy to advance the ball. One of their players, a diminutive high school sophomore showed up in cleats on a muddy day. His speed, energy and ability to cut made him difficult to catch. After one run which featured several sideline to sideline cuts but little forward progress an exasperated adult exclaimed that catching him was like trying to catch the Keebler Elf. The young man is now known, with pride, as Keebler.

The adults use guile and bulk to advance. A forearm from a 210 lb man can usually stop a 120 lb freshman (if not send him 5 yards back). Our favorite play is the Jamaican Bobsled where four receivers line up one behind each other. The sled can become a wedge where the pass goes to the trailing player, the sled can scatter or flood an area of the field, or the pass can go to the other side of the field. The really fun thing is that we really don’t know which play we’ll run.

We have had an adult pull up in the middle of a play and grab his Hamstring and scream and hop around. The kids then ignore him and go defend someone else. This is a planned play – we then pass the ball to him. Boys stand and watch as the receiver then sprints (a generous word) toward the goal.

There is a point to this. We do talk to the boys about teamwork and leadership. The boys learn something about the adults (mostly we aren’t athletes). And everyone gets a little closer.

Plus, as a reward for this year’s game we get to go to the Library Book Sale when they close and move the books for them. But only if we survive.