Thats my boy

Trev had a test in his final class of the day on Thursday. The teachers are doing assessments on what students know, to find out what needs to be reviewed and where to start the year. He was supposed to leave class fifteen minutes early to catch the bus to an away game football game. He missed the bus.
He called me "What are you doing right now Mom? Can you drive me to the game?" I was close to the school. I could drive. Since it was a test and I hate that Trevor has to miss accedemic classes for sports, I did not hastle him about missing the bus. He needs to learn how to make arrangements with his teacher's like the other boys.

I waited out front. School was just getting out so there were hundreds of cars trying to get into and out of the parking lot. I was stuck. Trevor calls me to tell me to pick him up out back. I am stuck out front in the lot. I park and walk round the school to the back to get him as he has now put his phone in his locker, as the players can't have phones at the game. He is not answering my calls to let him know there is no way I am moving my car to the back of the building with all these student drivers en mass trying to leave the parking lot.

We finally connect and hustle back to the car. Trev asks me to drive fast in hopes of catching up to the bus. I make good time once we reach the freeway. We don't quite make it to beat the bus as the bus has at least a 15 minute head start. We might have if Trevor had come out front right away but we lost time in the parking lot trying to connect. I am told, as I sit down in the bleachers, that the team has only just arrived five minutes before. The bus driver was very slow, which bought us more make up time. I did drive fast on the freeway and we found the team right away on the field they were playing.

Coach told Trevor next time to just go to practice and not try to get to the game, if he misses the bus again. Hopefully he wont miss the bus again. Last year he missed team pictures because he forgot he was supposed to come hours early on picture day. This year another boy missed that detail but Trevor was in the team photo on time and where he was supposed to be. He just has to learn things the hard way.

Trevor seems to be a second half player. He says there is a rule that players can only play four quarters in a 48 hour window. With C squad on Thursdays and Varsity on Fridays, Trev has to sit out two quarters of either game, not knowing if he will even play at the varsity game. Monday's, on JV he can play as much as the coach allows.

Tom didn't go to the Varsity game. He figured Trev was just dressing down for show. Tom didn't expect the coach to play Trevor. Trevor is a classic solid line man. Not fast but does his job, he has even made a few tackles of note.

I sat in the bleachers reading the program the first half of the game as Trev was standing on the sideline. The first quarter ended with our team up 42 to 0. By half time the score was 63 to 0. If coach was ever going to play his second string players, this would be the game. Trev went in third quarter. I texted Tom. Trev played with his heart in the game. He was hustling and trying to run as fast as he could. He knew this was his window of opportunity. He worked it. He played defense, busting through the offensive line after the opponents' quarterback.

Trevor went for the  receiver holding the ball, plowing through the offensive guards. the receiver paused to change direction away from Trevor giving one of  Trevor's  team mates time to slap the ball, which fell to the ground. Trevor threw his full weight on top of that loose ball. After the whistle was blown, Trevor rose from the ground with the ball in his hands. The announcer in the stands called out his number and name as having recovered the loose ball, causing a turn over.

I was in the stands shrieking "That's my boy. That is Trevor!!". With all the cheering around us for the turn over, only my friend sitting next to me heard the pride in my voice and chuckled, as I spent the first half of the game with my nose in the magazine not even paying attention

. Fourth quarter Trevor got some more time on the field but coach was putting in the little guys by fourth quarter. The visiting team could not hold onto the ball. With the score 63 to 0, even the home team parents were rooting for the underdogs. Big groans went up every time the ball was dropped or the visitors made a mistake. We were all hoping that the painfully embarrassing game would soon come to an end. I would have loved to see them score, just not while Trevor was on the field defending. But the opponents couldn't even score against the third string freshman players. They had worn themselves out in the long game struggle.

I was so proud of Trevor and his ability to make a big play. He will get a sticker on his helmet even with the acknowledgement  they were playing  a far inferior team. He did not blow his opportunity on the field and he played in his first Varsity game and he made a big play. This does mean that I may have to go to three games a week, even the away games.

I put out an e mail to the team parents offering to car pool. One other mom got back to me, so at least I will have company for the long drives. I just have to go prepared, knowing that Trevor will only be playing half the game in order to have the opportunity to play half the game in Varsity. But if he gets enough quarters in he could get a Varsity letter.

Trevor was so wound up after the game, he said the team sang and cheered all the way back to the school locker room. When we got home he made himself a grilled cheese and ham sandwich, we looked at the program together. It was late but we were both so excited about the evening it took a long time to get calm enough to go to sleep. Trev had to be up in the morning and at the school by 8:30 to watch the game tapes with the Varsity team. He glowed with well deserved pride.