2008.06.22

On Monday MO (Mini-Omega) attended junior high football conditioning. There were 12 junior high players on hand. Our workout consisted of:

1/4 mile run
100 standing squats
1/4 mile run
2x40 yard bear crawl
1/4 mile run
walking lunges competition
1/4 mile run

I was somewhat concerned with allowing MO to do the workout. He is 9-years-old. All of the junior high athletes are 12, 13, and 14 years old. This workout brought no fewer than three young men to tears. But, MO did well for himself. Here is a rough idea of how MO did:

1/4 mile run - 5th place
100 standing squats - completed
1/4 mile run - 4th place
2x40 yard bear crawl - 4th place
1/4 mile run - 2nd place (12 seconds ahead of 3rd place)
walking lunges competition - 1st place tie (260 yards)

As the workout went on, MO did not tire. He did not show signs of fatigue. His performance remained consistent. His final 1/4 mile run time was 3-seconds slower than his first.

Following the workout, the kids played about 45-minutes of flag football. The captains were selected and the drafting of players commenced. MO was the second player selected for his team and the fourth kid selected overall. It was a bit surprising (but heart-warming) to see him selected so early.

As for the game itself, MO had a quiet evening. He was responsible for covering the most explosive kid on the field. MO was limited to a couple of catches for almost no gain. He played quarterback for a few plays completing some short passes.

What I find most interesting is that the players accepted him and treated him like one of them. On one play, an 8th grader (fullback) caught a pass, MO cut him off, and the 8th grader stiff-armed MO to the ground. MO got up, dusted himself off and lined up for the next play.

MO never made excuses. He did not complain. He brought his lunch pail and went to work. He was giving up size, strength, and speed.

Tomorrow morning, we leave for Athens. MO will be attended Ohio University Youth Football Camp. This represents a quasi-vacation for our family. While MO is receiving top-notch instruction from division 1 college football coaches, the rest of the family will be walking around Athens, riding bikes, and simply taking it easy.