More Than a Game

A recent trip home, found me at the neighborhood park (Trimmer Park) watching the first day of little league practice for a group of 6 year olds. After visiting my Dad, I drove a mile past my Mom’s home and went straight to Trimmer Park. Since arriving in Mobile, I made eye contact several times with a registration sign posted in front of B.C. Rain High School. The sign solicited youth children between the age of 5 and 12 years of age to register for little league football. Out of curiosity, rather than go home I drove to Trimmer Park. 7 months earlier, I followed a similar procedure; I wanted to see the current condition of the park - had the city of Mobile allowed the park to go to ruins or had city officials maintained the health of the park? More importantly, this time around my interest was more or less around the start of little league football practice. Upon arrival, I was excited to see the Trimmer Saints (formally Jets) having their first day of practice. I drove into the park and saw the cheerleaders practicing on the cement basketball courts. I parked and proceed to the practice fields, where I noticed kids divided by age into their respective teams. To my left, the six year olds practiced on the girls’ softball field. In front of me, the 7 year olds practiced in the large field surround by the walking trail. To my right, the older children practiced on the Babe Ruth baseball field. After surveying all fields, I found myself walking to the softball field where the 6 year olds conducted their first practice. I noticed three familiar faces coaching that group; therefore, I felt comfortable walking onto that practice field and monitoring the remainder of their practice. The coaches were brothers that grew up in the same neighborhood as me. We all played little league football together at Trimmer Park and later played high school football together. After 45 minutes of swatting off mosquitos, scream at the quarterback to carry out his fake and reminiscing with my old teammates about our little league and high school playing days, I left the park to tend to family business. However, during those 45 minutes, I felt at home and at that moment I was in my pulpit and that field was my sanctuary. The game of football has been more than a game for me; it’s been a lifelong teacher. Some people use the marching band, cheerleading, an instrument, a person or military as their life coach. For me it was football. I started playing football at the age of 5 and as I write this blog I recall the first day I picked up a football. For us, football was each and every Saturday. My Dad required me and my older brother to rake and pick up leaves every Saturday morning. However; during our breaks, Dad would throw 7 - 10 yard out routes. Sounds simply right, but these pass and catch days would eventually be the spark that fuels my passion and love for the game today. At the age of 5, catching those 7 – 10 yard out routes provided me with the confidence and belief that I was ready to sign up for little league football. So one summer day in August of 1986, I signed up to play football for the Trimmer Jets. Since that day, I’ve loved the game and been around the game my entire life. If I wasn’t playing pass catch with Dad, I played “Pick’em up and Run” also known as “Pick’em up and Bust’em”. “Pick’em up and Bust’em” was a neighborhood game where a group of boys would find anything (football, pinecone, paper) throw it up in the air and first person to catch the “ball” would run and try to score a touchdown. All other players were to tackle the person with the “ball” #fondmemories. Neighborhood legends were birth during these games. But also a sort of toughness, grit and respect were earned during these games. Yes, confidence, grit, toughness and respect where gained from a game of pass and catch with Dad to a game of “Pick’em up and Bust’em” with the neighborhood friends. In addition to those characteristics, below is my football resume and the skills developed from being a part of this game:

1986 – 1992: Trimmer Jets (Little League)
• Set the foundation for social skills and interacting with peers
• Set the foundation for respecting authority
• Set the foundation for teamwork and being a team player
• Set the foundation for competition
• Set the foundation for toughness

1993 – 1995: Phillips Preparatory School (Middle School)
• Continued development of social skills and interacting with peers
• Continued development of respect for authority
• Continued development of competition and competing to win
• Continued development of teamwork
• Set the foundation for learning to overcome obstacles
• Set the foundation for leadership

1994 – 1995: B.C. Rain High School Water Boy
• Introduction to discipline, focus and organization
• Continued development on being a team player

1995 – 1999: B.C. Rain High School
• Developed discipline
• Developed focus
• Continued development of leadership skills
• Continued development of overcoming obstacles
• Set the foundation for organization
• Set the foundation for attention to details
• Learned how to challenge myself

1999 – 2001: Auburn University Football (Student Assistant) 2001 SEC WEST CHAMPS
• Developed the ability to focus on details
• Enhanced organization skills
• Set the foundation for coaching, teaching and mentoring

2001 – 2003: Auburn University Flag Football League
• Increased passion and love for the game

August 2003 – October 2003: B.C. Rain High School Football Volunteer
• Continued development of coaching, teaching and mentoring skills

April 2004 – December 2010: Houston Texas Little League Football Coach
• Developed leadership skills • Learned how to coach, teach and mentor young people
• Continued development of overcoming obstacles

February 2011 – Present: High School football Mentor and Volunteer Coach/ Flag Football Player
• Apply skills learned above to young people I meet and mentor
• Increased passion and love for the game

As I left Trimmer Park that day, I noticed the welcome sign that reads “Home of the Trimmer Saints”. That sign could easily be rewritten to read “Birthplace of Tight Tight” or “Home to Football - Life’s Biggest Teacher”. Football Found Me. I repeat, the game of football found me and a recent conversation with BG made me realize how important the game has been to my development. I never played the game for accolades. I never played the game to advance my college career or meet any personal goals of playing in the National Football League. I played because I loved the game. And because of that love, Football has been a life line, an escape and a place of comfort. The game has been woven into my fabric and been a teacher and adviser to me. It’s been life’s way of equipping me with a set of skills I’d later use to advance an agenda. The game provides me with visual examples for addressing problems I face daily. For the past 28 years, I’ve been around the game because I absolutely love the game and because I need the game. My love and passion for the game goes deeper than the game itself. So when I watch Auburn University play a football game or use football as an analogy to explain life’s big questions, understand football is more than a game; it’s a way of life.

After Composing this blog, the Mobile Press Register released the following article on the health of Trimmer Park. I found the release of the article ironic and as confirmation that I'm on the right path.