GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY

REMEMBER THIS PICTURE
 WHEN GABE WAS IN YOUTH FOOTBALL?
WELL HE'S NOW A VOLUNTEER COACH
FOR THE FLAG FOOTBALL LEAGUE,
AND HIS TEAM OF SECOND GRADERS.
WE SNUCK UP TO THE FIELD TODAY
TO WATCH THEIR FIRST SCRIMMAGES.

A LITTLE CHAT WITH THE QUARTERBACK 

AND LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

OOPS!  LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE MISSED THAT PASS.

"COACH, I NEED HELP WITH MY FLAG."

"NOW GET BACK OUT THEIR
IN THE GAME"

A LITTLE MORE COACHING,

A LITTLE MORE HELP WITH THE FLAG BELT,
(Hey Liv, you played flag football, maybe Gabe
could recruit you to be team flag lady.)

AND IT'S BACK TO THE GAME.
GREAT JOB COACH!

 WE ALL REMEMBER THIS PICTURE

FROM SAM'S YOUTH FOOTBALL DAYS.

WELL TODAY HE SPENT HIS DAY
VOLUNTEERING AS REFEREE
FOR THE YOUTH FLAG FOOTBALL LEAGUE.
HE DIDN'T REF GABE'S GAME,
THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN SOME
CONFLICT OF INTEREST THERE.

TIME TO GET THIS GAME STARTED REF.

IT SEEMS, IN THIS AGE GROUP OF FLAG FOOTBALL,
THERE'S NO HIKING THE BALL.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE TABLE.
THE REFEREE WILL POSITION THE TABLE
AT THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE.

AND THEN HE PLACES THE BALL ON THE TABLE,

THE QUARTERBACK PICKS UP THE BALL 
FROM THE TABLE, AND PASSES IT.
IT LOOKS LIKE IT WAS RUN IN FOR A
TOUCHDOWN!

HOW CUTE IS THE BOY IN THE GREEN CLEATS?
I THINK HE'S THE QUARTERBACK,
AND HE'S WATCHING THAT BALL ALL THE WAY.
GREAT JOB REF!
I HOPE THE PARENTS WERE KIND TO YOU.

I HAVE TO ADD,

IT'S GREAT TO SEE THE KIDS GIVING BACK TO THE SPORTS THEY LOVE SO MUCH, WHETHER IT'S VOLUNTEER LIKE GABE AND SAM, OR FOR PAY LIKE SYDNEY AND EMILY.  I KNOW THAT SYDNEY IS NOW REFEREEING SOCCER, A SPORT SHE LOVED, AND PLAYED,THROUGH FRESHMAN YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL. AFTER BEING IN THE SPORT HERSELF FOR FIFTEEN YEARS, EMILY IS COACHING GYMNASTICS TO ELEMENTARY AGE SCHOOL KIDS, WHILE SHE'S IN COLLEGE.  BEFORE GOING AWAY TO COLLEGE, ELISE HAD TAUGHT SWIM LESSONS, A JOB I THINK GORDAN HAS NOW TAKEN OVER.  

JUST THINK,

(As stated by a proud grandma)

IF ALL YOUTH TURNED OUT THIS GOOD

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD THIS WOULD BE!