Ryan played tackle football this year for the first time. He was a little nervous to be aggressive at first and didn't want to hit or be hit. He is so sweet and kind, I kinda had a hard time imagining him being aggressive and was nervous for him.
It is SUPER intense: practices 5 days a week until school starts, then 3 days a week. Games are every Saturday. Nate was one of the assistant coaches, so they got to spend a lot of time together on the football field. Theo and I went to all but one game and cheered our Vikes on.
After a few practices they assigned positions, and Ry was chosen to be the starting quarterback! I was so proud of my little Troll and the leadership qualities Coach Bangeter saw in him. He worked so hard to learn all the terms, memorize plays, and even make up a few plays. He is the 2nd fastest runner on the team, and has a dang good arm.
Watching Ryan learn, grow, and succeed at this was such an amazing experience. He played so hard every game. He got his share of hard hits and usually was in tears at least once. But he always put his helmet back on and went right back in for more. I loved hearing him call out plays--my quiet little guy has such a loud voice when he needs to! I loved watching him get a comraderie with the boys on the team. The joked and played and tackled, and they had each other's backs. He would get frustrated when he felt they weren't trying or doing their best, but he encouraged and helped them all do their best.
We had an amazing head coach who was tough on these boys but always positive. He used good language and made sure the guys knew he loved them. He tried to give all the guys a chance to shine and find the right position for them all. At the end of the game they would point out all the great things the boys had done, and he often complemented "Bones Jones" for his great passes, plays, and touchdowns.
We lost our first game, but then came out fighting and won all but 1 the rest of the season. We made it to the playoffs and lost in the coldest game in history. At the end of the game Ry couldn't contain his emotions and he cried and cried. I asked him why he was crying, and he said he was sad it was over and he was happy it was over. His coach pulled him aside and thanked him for being such a good leader, and told him he was proud of him and knew from the beginning that Ry would be his QB.
Ryan, I'm so proud of you for learning and embracing this sport! Every second of time and every dollar spent was worth it to see you accomplish so much. I love you little man!
For Halloween Ryan wanted to be a Viewmont Football player. I was a huge fan of that easy costume!!
