Tonight, I will sit in the stands of one of the many late spring All-Star Football games that are played everywhere this time of year.
Since my dad was a high school football coach for fifty-some years, these late spring and early summer events have been part of my life since as long as I can remember.
But ~ for me personally ~ tonight's competition is different than any other annual game that brings together the best of the area's high school football athletes. These players, selected to confront one another in a yearly match-up, are the ones whose skills and prowess entertained communities from hot September through breezy October to cold November and maybe even brutal December.
On this early June night, I will proudly watch my godson get his final taste of high school football before he graduates just five days later.
But more than that, I will watch a young man who, having worked his ars off for over a year, on only the second play of an August scrimmage at the start of his junior year, was dealt a blow to his knee that obliterated it almost beyond repair.
In fact, the esteemed doctor performing his surgeries and guiding his rehabilitation made it clear that his injuries were so severe, he would be lucky to even walk again.
Even greater than the devasting blow that dealt nine different injuries to his knee was the dark forecast: football would never be a likely part of this boy's future.
Once the news was delivered almost as painful as the injury itself, something great happened. A combination of belief, determination, togetherness, and indominitable resolve dispelled the bleak outlook offered by the professional.
Not that the good doctor was wrong to issue such a negative warning. He based his prediction on experience and simple mathematical probability.
But sometimes things figure into a formula.... and we just don't see them coming. And we sure as heck don't see what's at the end of the equation. They are variables that can be so great and so grand that they overpower the constants, the usual, even the "certain."
In this case, the variables at play were overwhelming.
Let "x" be the support of coaches, players, parents, and a community that visited, sent cards, gifts, and words of encouragement,
Let "y" be the love and encouragement of family, friends, aunts, uncles, cousins, classmates...and especially grandmothers.
Let "z" be a trained professional that understood his knowledge and ability mattered to a young seventeen year old who just wanted to play football.
Let some other immeasurable unknown be the admirable, dutiful, and unwavering dedication of a mother and father working together to travel long distances for rehab and surgeries...day after day, week after week, month after month.
All these variables mattered, but none nearly as critical as the young man who refused to be a complainer, a victim, a crybaby, a whiner, or whatever other name there is for someone always blaming their circumstances on someone or something else.
There is no letter to represent the fight and spirit of a teenager who overcame a problem he was not expecting to ever have to solve. As a seventeen year-old, he was entitled to a bad moment or two. Even a handful of serious meltdowns. Call them "outliers".
But the reality is, he made the day-in and day-out choice not to wallow in self-pity, to work on his recovery, to build his upper body while his lower body healed, and to make several other thousands of wise and patient little decisions at every step, all day long. His attitude, added to these choices, equalled the one unanticipated variable that put him on a linear path straight out of his negative situation.
The result of this entire equation? One very real solution.
Come his senior year, when this boy was supposed to be sitting in the stands like I will be tonight, he was given the official go-ahead to play football.
Not only did he become known as one of the best defensive players in the greater Philadelphia area, but his team upset the league favorite twice and surpassed all expectations by moving far into Pennsylvania post-season play. In addition, he earned a scholarship to play football next year.
Not bad for a kid who would be lucky to ever even walk right again. Like teachers always say, check the work. Someone could be wrong.
Have a wonderful Thursday ~ I know I will :)
No comments:
Post a Comment