.::discover::understand::be::.

buck an ear?

Isn’t that an intimidating logo? It strikes fear in the hearts of all whose eyes dwell upon it. It represents aggression and anger and big, hairy, smelly, drunken pirates. Ironic that it is the logo for the lakeshore middle school buccaneers. We don’t seem to fit it all that well. Let’s take a look…

“strike fear”… not likely. We show up on the field with three different styles of jerseys. The only thing in common is that they are navy blue with yellow numbers. Some have stripes on the sleeves, some say grand haven across the front, some have numbers so faded that it looks like the poor kid just got done rolling in a field of dandelions. Our pants, well, many are sagging off the butt like we are back up singers for mc hammer. Oh no… those aren’t white stripes on the yellow pants… that would be tape holding the pads in place. We are a high class looking bunch. I guess in some ways it does look like we have been at sea for 6 months.

“aggression”… let me just say that last year our biggest and strongest kid had a “tenderness” problem. He would destroy the guy across from him in drills, knocking them back a good five yards. Then, he would gently pick them up from the heap he had left them in and HUG them. Yes HUG THEM. We threatened to lock him in a room for 24 hours straight and making him watch “brave heart” over and over. And that was last year. This year I’ve seen more tears that a roomful of ladies watching “beaches”. I know football hurts, we have had plenty of hits and injuries that would/could justify tears. But should a 13 year old boy cry because he can’t get his hip pads in?

“anger”… the only anger I ever sense is from the ids who don’t want to practice because it is raining. Also, see aggression.

“big”… we are a small team. Sometimes there is nothing you can do about size. So kids have it some don’t. but why is it that the smallest kids seem to play like they are 330lbs. and the bigger kids play like they are carrying a dozen eggs in their pockets.

“hairy”… not really. Some sport the ever popular 7th grade peach fuzz. And we do live in a beachy summer town so many have hair that looks like they just jumped off of a ron jon poster.

“smelly”… now we’ve got this one down. Our locker room has the most… well, let’s say… interesting aromas. I like to refer to it as the smell of puberty. It is 3 parts pungent body odor. (Yah know, the kind that makes your nose wrinkle uncontrollably.) 2 parts dirty sweaty practice clothes. (because why in the world would you want to have it washed?) 1 part junior high guy fart. (not just your regular fart, this one has been wafted around the locker room by four guys who wish they had done it) and finally two parts axe deodorant spray. (it always seem like middle-school guys think the best way to smell nice is to cover up the stench with a powerful spicy-musky smell.)

“drunken”… I sure hope not.


Like I said, we don’t really fit the buccaneer profile. Now, some of the parents? That would be a different story.

Any who… I love coaching. To me it is so much more than football so much more than being a “buc”.

posted by nathan sean @ Thursday, September 22, 2005