We can sometimes get fooled into thinking what we know is everything, but there is always more to experience. Yesterday was just a perfect day where I am not working right now and Mijo is off for Spring Break. It was Friday and upon searching for activity on Instagram, I saw his "little brother" (best friend who kind of looks like him with the big hair) goofing in pictures with a tennis racket out playing somewhere. I asked Mijo if he wanted to go try and watch him play, he thought that would be cool. Since he wasn't answering his phone, I texted his grandma and aunt to find out where they were playing. Turned out, they were at Akins HS, which is about a mile from the house, so we went over.
Little Bro (everybody needs a nickname) has wanted to play tennis since freshman year, but he kind of got persuaded to first join wrestling (As Mijo jokingly said "we told Little Bro to join wrestling or we would kick his butt"), then on to track and field to throw shotput and discus. This left no time for tennis which happens in the spring. Now that Mijo and his classmate aren't there to bully Little Bro into joining their reindeer games, he is finally playing tennis as a junior. Little Bro did say his favorite sport is wrestling (wrestling is special for those that end up doing it) but he liked track and field when he could hang out with my son and his other classmates, it is boring now with the new group of guys.
It is a whole new world, where football is played in a stadium that could seat thousands and maybe close to 1000 people are involved per game, when you consider about 100 players per side, the big 100 plus player bands, then the cheerleaders, dance/drill teams, and finally the spectators. Tennis, at least at Akins HS does not even have bleachers to sit in. We drove over and kind of had to figure out where to park, it is during school hours and the parking lots are assigned to the teaching, staff, or kids. I ended up parking by the side of the road and walking in towards the courts. It was a small tournament, maybe six schools were involved, but everything is managed between the kids. I didn't even see referees or umpires, not sure what they are called. The kids were calling their own games. It felt a little strange, the coach was sitting in a chair behind us, we were leaning on the fence, and I guess after he figured out who we were there for came up and shook our hands. I was more like who are you? Because of Mijo, I thought I knew all the coaches, over the last four years, he was in football with like 12 coaches, then wrestling, with two coaches, then track and field with another variety of coaches. This was not one of those, but I guess there must be some we never met, even though Mijo was Superjock.
This being tennis, it was a whole different vibe. All the kids were kind of happy to just be out there playing, which is not like football, which is taken way too seriously, and of course wrestling, which is an actual combat sport. All the kids were trying their best, the coach was laid back complimenting their efforts and being generally encouraging. I don't know if it is because this is not a team sport where either all or none do well, as far as the scoreboard, or if the other sports not named football are allowed to be what they were intended, just an outlet for the kids to do something they enjoy. I left kind of feeling good for Little Bro, he was in a safe space, nobody was going to grab him by the facemask and yell at him.
In the afternoon, around 5:30pm, we went and saw Little Bro's sister who had invited us to see a softball game last week and I enjoyed it so when I saw on the calendar they had a game, I suggested to Mijo we go. It was nice, the crowd was a little bigger than tennis, mostly parents and friends. The weather was about as nice as Texas can offer, with a cool breeze as the sun is going down. There is a clumsiness to the game, them being JV, but still, it was entertaining with some of the girls hitting the ball with some real power. I took my glove, why not, the previous game had a foul ball land near us, Little Bro's uncle was teasing me to protect them with my glove, but he was just jealous he didn't have one (just kidding). The Crockett girls won again, and one can tell Little Bro's sister has found her group. She looked happy singing the little softball chants they do in the dugouts while someone is at bat. She was telling us at the beginning of the school year she didn't feel like she had friends, but this was not the same girl as she was surrounded by teammates who all seemed to get along.
Football is so emotional, and the stakes seem so high, I understand why Mijo's older brother never liked sports. Too much is expected of any individual who puts themself out there. Boy (older brother), always complains that Mijo is going to get injured and get nothing for his injuries. I can see that from an outside perspective, but I also know that Mijo gets something from putting himself in harm's way. Some people have that need for the adrenaline rush of competition, to feel the raw power of defeating and making someone bend to your will with nothing but your physicality which you hone on your own.
I enjoyed both events even if I had to temper down my expectations from what football makes the norm. Sports are supposed to be to grow comradery, and maybe get some physical activity. The coaches were great, seeing the wrestling coach now with a soft touch, coaching the girls' softball team was awesome. The other team's coach, from the 1st base sideline coaching his girl to just wait for the ball, not to force it, not to swing at the ground, there was so much patience in his voice, it is just a world away from what I have heard on the football field.
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