Football Season is Here!

Football season is upon us. Our local high school opened tonight, and my husband's college team opens tomorrow. I sit typing this entry in a Comfort Inn in NoWhere, TN...and I couldn't be happier. I love football season!

I love hanging with my football girls. Coaches' wives stick together. We have to. Ever heard an irate fan say,"They should get rid of that coach." It makes me cringe. These folks don't realize they're talking about someone's livelihood...someone's paycheck...someone's health insurance...someone's identity as a working person...someone whose job depends on the performance of college kids. Thankfully, we've been very successful and people mostly say nice things about us, but we've all heard ugly comments about the men we love. So we stick together.

Sticking together is easy. I've known the wives sitting in the motel room with me for more than 20 years. We've been together for weddings, the birth of children, and funerals. We've travelled to many, many football games in rain, ice storms, snow storms, and blistering heat. Small college football doesn't have much in the way of a travel budget, especially where the wives are concerned. We've made the occasional charter bus trip, and one very memorable plane ride, but mostly we travel by car and stay in places like the Comfort Inn. It's all good though. Long car trips foster intimacy, and we have fun.

I like the rhythm of the season. We live from Saturday to Saturday, game to game. Wins are celebrated. Losses are mourned. The leaves turn, you blink, and it's Thanksgiving. Fall goes faster than any other season of the year. Now that my younger son is a high school freshman, we have his games on Monday night, and the varsity games on Friday. I suspect the season will fly by even faster.

I love the games themselves. At least twice a week, I will nervously await kickoff. I usually can't eat before a game. My adrenaline will surge as the first hit is made, and my emotions will rise and fall with the successes and setbacks of the boys on the field, even more so when one of those boys is my own. I will hug muddy, sweaty boys when the game is over regardless of the outcome. The last words I will say to my husband before kickoff every Saturday are "Go Tigers!" and the first words I will say after the horn sounds at the end of the game are "Good game. I love you."

I'm going to bed in anticipation of a new season. My son has called to tell me the high school team won. Go Cards! Tomorrow my husband coaches in his 23rd season opener.

Football is here, baby! GO TIGERS!