ON THE PORCH
We’re trying to talk my 9-year-old into playing football in the fall. He’s on board, until he’s not.
“I want to hit people,” says Ford. “But I don’t want to be hit.” Yes we know.
Like the older two Davis kids, Ford plays travel soccer. It’s our way to keep them running, learning teamwork, and prevent them staring at stupid screens all day. To watch Ford play soccer, you would say he’s ready for a more violent sport. I think he was the first in his league to get a yellow card this spring. He had one of his patented collisions with an attacking player. Being a center defender is like being a linebacker. You look for someone with the ball, and you try to neutralize them. To the ref’s credit, he didn’t whip out a big yellow card and humiliate him. I mean they are 9. He just gently escorted him off the field and asked the coach for a sub. I told another soccer dad last week that we thought Ford was physical enough to try football.
“Oh yeah!” he laughed. “He’s very physical.”
Made me proud. His soccer coach shares a saying with defenders to teach them how to stop an offensive soccer player. It goes like this, “Shut down, slow down, sit down, stay down, showdown.”
It’s a way to keep defenders playing in a LEGAL way without fouling. But at 90 pounds, Ford is built like a tree trunk, and with an 18 year old brother is scared of nothing. So we have re-written it to match his play, “Shut down, beat down, throw down and push him down.” As I think of the pride I would feel if he does play football, I think of my friend Wes McAteer. He loved sports, and helped start the Monroe Elite Tigers. We were sad when he moved his family to LaGrange three years ago. He was hoping his son would take a big interest in football there. But then Wes got sick with liver failure. Wes died last week. Whether Ford plays football or not, I will miss seeing him and talking about our kids. He was from my step-dad’s hometown of Chickamauga, and told great stories about growing up there. And somehow he loved Michigan football. After he passed I went back and checked our text messages from the time UGA whipped his Wolverines. He always took a ribbing in stride. My condolences to his precious kids Hunt and Kate. Wes McAteer, RIP.
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Speaking of football, MP will host its Spring Game vs. Therrell at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 19 in Dan Pitts Stadium. Star senior running back Duke Watson has de-committed from Georgia Tech after visiting Ole Miss. Will be fun to watch him. Meanwhile, my other son will be playing in the MP Alumni Soccer game on Saturday. Also on Saturday the Monroe County Pregnancy Center is holding its first shotgun competition at The Meadows. Get outside and get involved. Just don’t get a yellow card.
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Finally, we’re very proud of our second monthly Macon-Bibb Reporter in this week’s edition. We are overwhelmed by the support we are getting. I don’t think any newspaper does a graduation section in Macon anymore, so we are happy to give those kids some love. It’s only because of the support we have gotten in Monroe County that we are able to share that same quality and content in Bibb County. Mary Persons, it’s your turn next week. Parent ads are due Friday!
