This year the kids have to pay over $600 each to go to football camp taking place in Hawaii. As far as we’ve been informed, there is nothing available local for the kids to go to if they can’t make the Hawaii trip. Yes, this is a wonderful opportunity…but get real. If you have more than one student participating in the sport…you need to either be wealthy or have to take out a mini-loan just for your kids to participate.

After having both sons participate last year, I’ve come to find out its really a scam to actually think you’re part of something. We not only paid nearly $2,000 plus between the two kids, but our youngest didn’t even get a letter for participating the whole season. They don’t cut kids from the team any more… for one. On top of that, the football program not only gets quite a bit of money from you, but the coach doesn’t even have to play your child at all. Especially if he gets an itch up his xxxx and chooses not to.

Okay, we all agree that if you have talent you should be able to get the coach’s attention to play. To my dismay, that’s not the case. The coach has his favorites and plays them until they get injured and then you might get a chance to play…if he feels like it. Both my boys have talent and did get chances to show it and even get called out on the loud speaker a few time for what they did. Even though they always guarded their spot well and even made some awesome take downs for the team…it didn’t matter to the coach. His favorites got worn out and a few of them hurt badly even when the team was so far ahead anyone could have played at that point.

Worse part for me as a mom taking part in the Boosters Club, I saw how even the booster parents manipulated things for their benefit and not the benefit of all players or all parents. Parents that volunteer, also have to pay to enter the games to volunteer. That was wacky to me. If you’re volunteering, your entrance fee should be part of the package. Okay…support the team. So if you have to pay, why volunteer to help out?

At the beginning of the year, All Moms of Seniors were told not to wear their child’s jersey on Senior night. This was the rule all throughout the year and even up to the night. Miraculously at the last minute, only the leaders of the Boosters club were called and given permission to wear their son’s jersey. Yeah, it may seem petty and its not like I could’ve fit into Tim’s jersey, but its the injustice of the whole thing. There may have been a mom that really wanted to do that and they were shunned as if they did matter. What’s the deal with that?

Basically, my first year football experience was rather NOT worth it. Even though I did enjoy watching my boys play when they did. It’s not all what its hept up about. Especially when your kid is sitting on the sidelines the whole game, when he’s already proven he has talent each time he has been played. Of course as a mom, I’m glad they didn’t get hurt, but I do know they’d hold their own.

The coach says, “Hey, you’re lucky to be part of the team…even if you don’t play”. What’s so lucky about that? You’re the punching bag for his favorite players during practice…that’s all.

Maybe it’s different when you have a fair coach that really cares about all the kids being successful at school as well as in the sport. Those coaches are rare to none. Guess we’ll never find out unless we get a new coach.

I feel there were several factors why El Cap lost the game last night:
(1) several important 1st string players being injured,
(2) bad calls by the refs (especially the ridiculous (2) SIDELINE penalties and face mask penalty not being called on St. Augustine, and a few other questionnable calls),
(3) Players were injured or just off some: like Holz just being off and not catching or keeping possession of the ball during a pass to him and Ben Wilkins being hurt part way through the game. AJ Conti was awesome, but had a couple moments himself.

The boys were great, considering all the challenges they faced. They should be extremely PROUD to have maintained an undefeated season and just making it to CIF. Excellent accomplishment for sure!!!! We’re Proud of the El Cap Players for staying focused and motivated to make it as far as they did!!!

Tim was pretty much put out of the games as of last week during practice. His knee was injured about 3 weeks ago during practice. The coach had decided to run some plays with Tim in the Running Back position instead of his normal special teams or safety position…and boom his knee was taken out during a major tackle and pile-up. Well, Tim briefly mentioned the injury to us and had continued playing during practice being injured. Finally last week, after another injury to the knee during practice the Sports Medic of the team evaluated his knee and felt he tore his menescus, which is critical. We were asked to have him xrayed and checked out.

So after having his examinination by Kaiser’s Sports Medicine Doctor today, he feels Tim definitely has a seriously bruised femar bone near the knee cap and could possibly have a torn menescus. He ordered an MRI which will take another 7-10 days to get to…basically to confirm the bruised bone and to get a good look at the menescus to see if anything is going on with it. That will then determine how long Tim will have to stay off of his leg. Right now as it stands…he is no longer to use ibuprofen to mask the pain and be tempted to walk on it. He needs to use crutches to get around for another 6-8 weeks right now. If the MRI shows a tear in the menescus, he will have to stay off his leg for up to 3 to 6 months or longer. If he walks on it, he takes a chance of the bone to split off in his knee area and cause other problems. Not a good thing. Pretty hard for a teenager to do, but there’s not much of a better alternative at this point. I just pray the menescus is in tact and the bone bruise heals quickly and strongly. I’m just thankful the injuries weren’t worse.

Have to high five the coach for taking all the boys out to a Special dinner last night to acknowledge their hard work and accomplishment this year. It meant a lot to Tim and I’m sure the other team players too.

Since it was Senior Night, the parents of the Senior players had to go onto the field to be acknowledged by their son and Tim had to write up a sweet thank you remark. His wrote something like this,”I want to thank my parents for supporting me in football this year. Love from you favorite right-center sideline benchwarmer.” He got some laughs, but the coach wasn’t impressed. We went to Bollweevil to meet up with the other players after the game and got Tim a special meal for the night. We had a great family time together.

One of the Team Leaders from our church “Journey” named Dana came with her God daughter to watch Tim play in the game. I guess Tim & Luke invited her out and she decided to take them up on it. She said she might even make it to the next game to support the team. Tim & Luke thought that was pretty great to see her there.

Tim is finally feeling part of the team. Sitting the sidelines the past 4 games was a real struggle, not knowing if he’d ever get a chance to play. He’s been working hard at the practices and trying to earn a chance to play, since it’s only his first year playing Varsity football. In his freshman to Junior years, he Wrestled for El Cap’s Varsity Team. This year being a Senior didn’t matter, Tim had to earn a spot. He finally got his chance today. Tim took down the opposing team before the 20 yd. line two times in a row and couple other times as well. Coach was finally impressed and Tim’s got a spot. So far the team sits at 5 – 0 and is breaking several records. Smartest football team holding 3.0 average for all players and
If they win today’s game, it’s been over 47years since that’s happened to go 6-0.
UPDATE: THEY WON THE GAME…48 TO 21 EL CAPITAN WINS!!! 6-0

Check out the latest photos of Luke in the Gallery.