It's about having fun

One of my favorite times of the year is here...football season!

Although I love sitting on Sunday and watching my Broncos, I’m really talking about all the youth football we have around here.

This last weekend was so fun. I had the chance to shoot the little guys playing rec football as well as the older kids with the middle school and the high school athletes on Friday night.

It really gave me a perspective on how the game is played.

The rec kids are having so much fun, learning as they go, and they get out there and really get after it. Everybody is tackling everybody else and they make these huge piles when they finally get someone down.

Yeah, the helmets look huge on their little bodies, but they’re out there having fun knocking each other around, and I’d bet they sleep pretty good after game day.

And then there’s the middle schoolers.

They’re a little more knowledgeable about the game by now and aren’t so quick to make ‘dog piles’ when they tackle. They’ve picked up on the concept of certain plays so its a bit more like controlled chaos.

Middle schoolers are becoming more concerned with the score by now and they know they’re learning skills, but they’re still out there having fun.

I see a huge difference in the kids from middle school to high school, though.

They’ve suddenly become athletes. They are hitting the weight room and are more focused on where they’re supposed to be and what their particular role is on the team.

But the one thing that crosses all the lines is fun. I see the same excitement and occasional grins on the faces of the high school boys as I do on the faces of the little ones. If you think about it, you see those same grins on the faces of college and professional athletes, too.

That’s what its all about. Fun. Yes, winning is important, but above all, they are out there having fun.