Argo Minor2Navy-Vs-INVADERS. Player perspectives

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INVADERS ARE COMING

May 15, 2010 on the Grid Iron of Shea, North of the Crags of Piestewa Peak The Argo Minor 2 Navy set out to take the rival Invaders.  The Argos arrived and began their warm up’s.  First morning games are the best time of day to ease into a long day ahead tracking the various teams scheduled across town.  It was a perfect time to talk with some of the players and get their thoughts on the game ahead and what they had to do to win.  Some great voices here of the boys in their own words.

I digress for a moment  as I sit to retell this tale from Saturday’s game. I am struck in this moment with a memory of being this age in flag football and feeling something similar to what the players shared with me.  The boys were aware of and somewhat intimidated by the myth and stories they had heard of #33 Invader.  The boys knew – or thought they knew what they were up against by the reputation of this peer athlete.  The memory it brings to mind was on the field of Yavapai Elementary school, the Argo practice fields during this spring preseason.  I was, like most of the Argo Navy players, in 7th grade and on the school flag football team.  This was the grid iron of my own youth.

During a game once, i was on the line in stance across from a big brick-house of a kid.  We faced off.  He raised his fist and flashed this big silver class ring as if to say, “Im going to hit you hard and my ring is going to rip your face off” – at least that is what ran through my mind eyeing this weapon on his finger.  (remember this is a long time ago when something like a ring on a kids finger in football was overlooked apparently).  Even now as i recall this i can sense the level of intimidation that this raised and how it spread to the team.  We were all talking about it on the sidelines. “Did you see the kid with the Ring!”  He became the focus of our fear for a while until we realized how to move around him, or how to get him out of the way, and that ultimately he was just a big kid trying to intimidate you.  Looking back on it now, after watching our boys break through their own experience with intimidation in this game, My opponent probably wasn’t all that big, but mentally he made himself HUGE and i made him more so by being afraid for a while.  So it is a part of the game we play with our rivals in football.

I guess for the fond memory this encounter has evoked, this weeks video is another personal favorite.  I finally get to talk with the boys before a game and then at the Monday practice after, to get a full picture of their game experience.   Its worth a watch through to the end. Special shout out to any of the Invaders featured in this snapshot.  Impressive, but not so much that we wouldn’t want to face you again for some good hard sport and a little payback.  Until we meet again.

Editor Note: I realized after posting that i titled the spot with ARGO Midget vs the Invaders.  I will redit and resubmit for the record, but this is MINOR2Navy Vs the Invaders.

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31 Comments

  • Wow Robert,

    You are getting really good at this. What a treasure for the players and their families. We all appreciate the hard work.

    Players, pay attention. You will face these larger than life personalities for the rest of your life. Just keep in mind that they are only other people just like you. There is no reason to doubt how you will stack up to them.

  • Thanks Bill, This one hit a core that i think we can all relate to on some level whether as an adult or from some seated memory of being a kid.

    Great advice from you for the boys.

    Im learning something from the Argos every weekend.

    GO ARGOS!

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