Give Him the Damn Ball

Unfortunately Stereotypical Dad Coach is the coach of Frank's football team this year. Frank has been lumped in with two kids who goof around and drop the ball and don't know what is going on. The coaches do not have a playbook and they yell at the kids a lot. The coach's kid plays quarterback for about 80% of the game. Frank plays quarterback for about 20% of the game. Last night he completed a pass and handed the ball off without dropping it. That's it. The rest of the game belonged to the coach's kid. Why was my kid taken out of that position? I couldn't figure it out.

Frank plays defense a lot, which he also likes, but every flag football coach he has had up until this year has made sure that the kids got equal play on offense and defense. I know I am his mom, but Frank is the tallest kid and has a great arm - distance and accuracy. He shared the position of quarterback with the coach's kid last year and got equal play. (Why does the coach's kid always play quarterback? Don't answer that.)

And on top of it all, Frank is just a really great kid.

After the game I heard several of the other dads talking to the coach about the unequal play time. I thought about saying something, but I wanted to talk to Frank first.

"Do you feel like you're getting enough playing time?" I asked him in the car.

"No. I only got a few plays on offense," he said. "The coach kept telling us we would get a chance to play offense, but he keeps playing the other guys."

"Do you want me to say something?" I asked.

"No, it's ok," he said.

"Frank never gets mad about stuff like that," Mary said.

And it's true. He's just a super patient kid. He sits on the sidelines and follows the game and does what his coach wants him to do and doesn't complain. So that's what makes me think that I need to complain on his behalf. I worry, and I think Frank worries, that I will get all Terrell Owens on the coach.

I will lay back, I think. Frank is playing some, and it's just one year of flag football. I will be sure that he is not with this coach next year. Frank's talent and teammate qualities will pay off in the long run. This 5th grade recreational flag football league is just nothing in the scheme of things, which really just fuels my Mom Fire and makes me want to call a press conference.

Give my kid the damn ball.