"You are in Texas Now. You Love football. You just don't know it yet."

While running around at the park this week, Loumy came by the bench where I was sitting and said: Boys are crazier than girls! But girls are smarter than boys.
Me: What would make you say that?
Loumy: Because (he shrugs and gives me a huge smile as he turns to run up a slide), boys do a lot more dumber things!

Hm...was all I thought to myself. Should I analyze this statement? Correct him? Agree with him? I said nothing and just let him play. I am not saying that girls are always smarter than boys, but...in general...boys do seem to do a lot more dumber things. One of those dumb things is play football. Its such a dangerous sport. But maybe I am the dumb one because I signed my son up to play it.

Ever since Chancho moved to Dallas, Loumy has been asking if he was going to get to play football once he got here. Chanch did some research and found out that the local Baptist league (called Upward) had a league in the spring and told Loumy about it. He was SO excited! Well, games have started and he is still SUPER enthusiastic. It is flag football, so not nearly so dangerous as it could...or should I say "will"...be.

Chancho took Loumy on the first night for evaluations (which Chancho insists were "try-outs" and that they were set up and run like the kids were trying to get into the NFL, but I think they just wanted to see how much the kids knew so they could make the teams even). Anyway, they told him they'd teach our boy, "a little about football and a little about Jesus." What's not to like about that?

I think Loumy is destined to be a very good athlete. Here are some of the reasons why:
1. He is naturally very athletic, agile, and coordinated.
2. He loves anything that has to do with athletics. He would like us to get him involved in every single sport that is available to man. For now football and soccer keep us plenty busy.
3. He takes the sport very seriously. He listens to the coaches and really wants to do things exactly how they tell him to do it because he knows he will be a better player.
4. During games, he keeps a game face on and is very intent, most of the time, yet he is not overly competitive. He wants really bad to win, but never does he want to see another person lose. That breaks his sweet little heart. I'm sure some of that will change as he enters puberty (I'm guessing).
5. He is able to read situations in a very mature manner--much as he is able to read the social situations around him and respond in a very mature manner, he is able to see what is happening all around him on the field and naturally seems to know how to respond to that situation.
6. He is already becoming a leader on the field and knows how to coach and encourage team members, yet is not bossy.
7. He's very kind and everybody likes him, yet he just kicks their little tails on the field. But is still nice.

Here are a few photos from his game last week. They are pretty terrible photos, but they're what I got.

Here he is playing defense. He had two good "tackles". I was unable to attend his game this morning but he called me and left me a voice message. He was very jubilant in the message and told me he'd scored two touchdowns and "I was a flag pulling machine. At least, well, that is what Dad said I should tell you that I was." Later, when I asked him about how many tackles he'd had, he shrugged and said, "Like ten or something." Chancho nodded his head and said, "At least."

Here he is running the ball. He's got it:
Now he tucks it under his arm, just like he told me his coach showed him:
He's headed towards the end zone. He weaved in and out of several players by this point:He's almost there:Here you can only see his leg, but you can tell by the referee and his teammate that it was a touchdown:

The Texans take their football VERY seriously. All elements of the game are encouraged very early on, including the cheering. These little ones come and cheer at the games, but they just cheer for "Upward" so they are encouraging both teams. Football, cheering, and Jesus on a Saturday morning. We must be in Texas!