Go, Saratoga Spartans!

So our little town of Saratoga Springs has a youth tackle football team now. Ever since Brant started seeing the signs around town, he has been begging to play. Being the soccer mom that I am, I don't really get football, but in an effort to encourage my children in their own individual interests, I signed him up. He even gets to play on the team with his buddie, Jake. They are so cute and serious out there. They practice every weekday night (crazy, I know) from 6pm to 8pm. Brant loves every minute of it. He is really serious about this game. I guess I've got a lot to learn. Jake's dad is a counselor at Alta High School and he let Brant borrow this practice jersey. Kindof fun since that is where my nephew, Andrew starts high school this year.

Here are Brant and Jake coming off the field on the first night that they got to practice in their equipment.

Before we got in the car, they wanted to put their helmets back on and show me how they could tackle eachother. They can't snap their own chinguards in place, so Jake was so cute. He goes: "Brant, I'll help you, then you help me, OK?" I just loved that. Jake is such a nice kid. I couldn't have picked a better friend for Brant to play football with. I have a feeling that these pictures will be even more special to us in a few years when they are playing together for the Westlake High School Thunder!



Here is a video of the tackle-fest:

One last funny little story from that night. Brant told me that his coach had helped him take his helmet off after practice because he couldn't get it off by himself. So after he put it back on, he wore it home and I worried the whole way that I wouldn't be able to get it off, either, and Ricky wouldn't be home from his church meetings until much later. So, when we got home, he played around in the yard for a while and then he was ready to take the helmet off. Sure enough, I COULD NOT get that thing off. I pulled and tugged and tugged and pulled. I was hoping that one of the neighbors would come outside and give me a hand, but no one came. I didn't want to be dumb and go to someone's house and be like, "Hey, sorry to bother you, but can you help me get my kid's helmet off." So after some more pulling and complaining that he thought I was pulling his head off, the helmet came off. Brant was one happy boy after that:

Jake's mom has some cute pictures of the boys on her blog, too.