Go Vikings!

Let me set the stage for you. The Vikings (our team) had lost the first three games.  Our team is young, consisting of nine kindergartners and three first graders compared to the other teams which have a larger number of experienced first graders. Our team is prone to crying spells and crankiness. This week we were schedule to play a tough team. At the end of our last game we had seen them warming up with their coach shouting in their faces. 

Look at this nice coach telling his team how proud of him he is

“We need a win,” I told Bob after the last game. I could definitely see an improvement in the team (fewer tantrums from the players as the weeks went on) but moral on the sidelines was starting to dip. The parents were finding it tough to keep their eyes from wandering to their smart phones during the games as the other teams scored a bunch against our gentle handed defense.  

Getting into positions

With this feedback, plus some other feedback from moms stating that we were glad he was not like some of the other coaches we witnessed, (one coach called his team ‘Flag Scavengers’) Bob rallied. He ran a tighter practice with defense drills and backwards running. I heard a lot of giggling coming from the typically gentle handed defense as they ripped the belts off the offense.

 It was overcast and chilly after a night of rain on the day of our fourth game. We had team pictures scheduled at seven in the morning so by the time we got to the field at eight-thirty it felt later than it really was. The Raiders were taller than us and their coach had them play set positions. After each play he barked at his team to line up with their toes behind the line. Bob rotated the kids to different positions so everyone had a chance to be quarterback. Instead of doing all running plays as we have been in the past, he rotated in some new ones like a wide receiver reverse and a couple throw plays. We got the first touchdown of the game on one of the throwing plays. 

In it to win it

 “What’s the one thing we don’t do?” the coach bellowed at his team of five and six year olds. “We don’t stand around!” The kids looked defeated by his words because they had not been standing around; our team had simply outrun them. Their team scored twice in a row before we scored again but our team was catching onto the idea of pulling off the other players flags just like they had done in practice. We scored a bunch more times when we were on offense too. “Use your monster flag fingers!” Their coach shouted to them while Bob opted for positive reinforcement in the form of fist bumps and praise to his team. 

Matt's celebratory dance

Our league does not keep score but judging by the number of touchdowns it is clear who the winning team and losing team is by the end of a game. This was our big win of the season, the game that we will look back on and remember that this was the week that the momentum of the team shifted and the kids really began to understand the game.