Life Lessons My Son Learned From His First Year In Football (PHOTOS)

Angel here.  My son Tucker played flag football for the first time this season.  Last night they took home the League Championship but it was more than winning for him.

Our family is super competitive.  We like to win.  I was surprised when Tucker wanted to play football but have always wanted him to try new things.

From the minute I told him he was signed up he put a football in his hand and never put it down.  He literally woke up each day and begged to go outside to toss the ball and run.

Each week we watched him and his team grow and get better.  They developed friendships, learned hard work, and dedication.

A hard lesson learned was controlling his temper.  Tuck is hot-headed he hates to lose.  So getting him to understand it was fine to make mistakes and mess up was a battle in and of itself.  There were multiple times we had to explain to him that stomping and yelling was unacceptable and would not be tolerated.

To be totally honest I think all the parents were a nervous wreck.  Being a parent is hard and then you add in sports and extra activities and it ups the anxiety.

Mid-season I had to explain to Tuck that pulling flags was just as important as getting touchdowns.  I told him great players think about all aspects of the game not just scoring.  It clicked and he was a flag pulling machine.

After all the practices, game time, and learning the Texans ended their regular season UNDEFEATED.  Last night they brought home the league championship.

As we all watched them get their trophies Tucker runs off the field and says "why did we get trophies?"  we said, "you won the tournament."  He looks surprised and says "I just thought we were playing a game."

That is exactly how life should be.  He didn't even realize how big the game was.  He was just playing football with his friends wanting to pull flags and score touchdowns.  I pray he never lose that innocence.

We are sad to see the season end.  Watching each player develop this season was fun.  Seeing the joy in their little faces when they came off the field to snacks and their parents was even better.

Sports taught me discipline in life and respect for others.  It also taught me determination.  I am thankful for all the coaches on each team and all the leagues in our community who put in hours to help develop and pour into our children.

GO TEXANS!

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