The Captain

I know that the various sporting events and comptitions - be it United, Bulls, the J-V girls, Fire, J & B, etc... mite get confusing to most readers. Or maybe not. But here's yet another one - Nephew.1 's volleyball games.

They have made it through the first two rounds of the state playoffs, and they played to-day in round three. Because of graduation tonite, the state moved the game to 4.30p - not the 7.30 regular start. I got out @ 3.45, but had to help some kids till four. Then........

....uggggggggggggg a fucking long ass drive way out to 211th and way way west - in fucking nowhereland, for me - and it took 1 1/2 h to get there. Then, finally, clouded my way into the exact place - a side door to the gym.

Fucking loud, as I stepped in and immediately had to jump out of ny nephews way as his bench was celebrating like crazy - they'd just won a point to tie the game @ 23 -23 in the third and final game - despite the long and @ times frustrating drive, it seemed that I got there rite on time.

I sat down, watched the team take the next two points and the whole side that was cheering for his team went crazy. Felt great for the boys, and there was such a buzz amongst the parents. It was graduation nite for the seniors and the parnts of the seniors were all in suits and ties and nice dresses etc - they were going straight to the ceremony from the game. Same with the boys - sweaty messes, so I assume the'll hit the showers back @ the school. And ain't it funny - they are - well, as of, say, 10pm - graduates: but on Tuesday these graduates will still be student atheletes.

And now the true praise for the boy. His family is more of a soccer family. I've spent many seasons coaching the kids. His older sister was a soccer star - long before this blog ever existed, I would send around he online newspaper clippings. She was one of the captains of the varsity as a freshman and made various area and conference teams in her career. When Nephew.2 followed his sister to the same school (five of eight so far have gone/going), he played his freshman year soccer and then volleyball in the spring.

However, he dodn't like soccer, and quit the team - and we wanted to kill him. But, in all honesty, it's always the kids choice - sports, schools, etc: whatever they want. So, of course it was a dissapointment, but we totally suported him.

I've written this before, but I saw NONE of his games his first two years - I was busy w/ soccer teams of my own. Then came the cuts before his Junior year. There was such a massive lowering of Atlas' weight off of MY SHOULDERS when he made the varsity and I realised that yes, I would be able to actually see one of his games. It woulda been terrible to have missed seeing him compete in his chosen sport.

He wasn't a starter that junior year - or even this year - BUT -and here comes the pride from me - he is one of the three captains on the team. Not a starter, but he's thought highly enough with the team to be one of the three.

I have seen him in other capacities to get a hint as to why - he's a massive cheerleader in the Section 8 style. High school kids can be very goofy -Youth! - and it's great to see whole sections of his school's kids @ football and basketball games chanting and cheering, led by him. And it takes guts to stand up and get them all organized and singing. Common in England, maybe, but a bit outside the pale here. There have been colour pictures of him in the newspapers leading the way.

And I see it @ the volleyball games. The sport is very different in that the players will have their little cheers and skits - the whole bench doing cheers and body movements in unison. Sorta traditional. And it's great to see him starting the cheers.

I'm very proud of him, and all of the eight. Just happened to be his nite to-nite. Graduating, too. It's times like these - that wonderful drive home after such a shitty drive to the game - when the spirits of life rushrunfly through the soul and lift us all up soaring like a Hawk - and remind me of how everything is so rite about life.

The Captains next game is Tuesday.