Celebrating All Those Who Play

[LoyalFan]

Last Friday night, while standing during the National Anthem and looking across the stands and the football field, I thought about this scene being played out across the country at high school football fields everywhere. The football players, cheerleaders and marching band students who have given up their free time all week to work toward a common goal. The parents volunteering to take tickets, work the concessions stands and the chain gang. What a great event! Then this week, scanning through the threads showing score recaps with very large margins and discussions on already closing the book on some teams, a quote I read a long time ago came to mind. I looked it up and here it is. So I offer this to every young man (and a few young ladies according to a recent post) who, win or lose, are out there 'in the arena'. And I encourage all posters that before you criticize, ask yourself if you are one of those 'cold and timid souls who neither know victory or defeat'.

 

The Man In the Arena

Theodore Roosevelt

26th President of the United States

Excerpt from Speech at the Sorbonne

Paris, France

April 23, 1910

 

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

[Clyde]

Fortunately, I am one who had the chance to know victory and defeat.

 

Hear, hear to your sentiments.

[Alabama Larry]

Great point, welcome to the site. Also mention the parents. Dad's who hold the chains which you mentioned, and at our school just like others many Moms are fixing pre games meals and snacks. During our summer camps the boys had fruit and water drinks. Team moms with the emails in letting folks know what is going on.

 

The support group (field caregivers) (spotters for the announcer) and the program add/sellers folks.

[spindoc]

One of my all time favorite quotes, and well played sir. Bravo!

[Alwaysright]

Thanks for reminding me how much I love that quote and injecting some perspective into high school sports.

[Flotsam]

Excellent post. The "participation trophy" is a recurring subject of scorn and ridicule on BGP. I say bravo to the "participation trophy". I tip my cap to all of the kids sweating out two-a-days in the summer, freezing their tails off later in the season, hitting and getting hit, rather than spending their time plastered in front of an X-Box, computer/TV screen, or drinking something they shouldn't be drinking/smoking something they shouldn't be smoking. Whether your team goes 10-0 or 0-10, the willingness to enter the arena is worthy of respect.

[2 Humped Camel]

Excellent post. The "participation trophy" is a recurring subject of scorn and ridicule on BGP. I say bravo to the "participation trophy". I tip my cap to all of the kids sweating out two-a-days in the summer, freezing their tails off later in the season, hitting and getting hit, rather than spending their time plastered in front of an X-Box, computer/TV screen, or drinking something they shouldn't be drinking/smoking something they shouldn't be smoking. Whether your team goes 10-0 or 0-10, the willingness to enter the arena is worthy of respect.

 

I agree 100%, I talked my girlfriend's 10 year old son into playing youth football this year and he was the classic playstation/computer kid. His Dad's never had much involvment with him so he is not the most sports savy kid. The first couple of weeks he was terrible, confused and afraid of contact, 4 weeks in and you could barely recognize the kid today vs the kid that started. He may not ever be a super star but he is having a blast, making friends and hopefully learning some valuable lessons. I love this sport and what it has meant to me and so many others! Thanks to the OP for the quote that is awesome.