In that moment

 

(Photo Cred: Kristin Schmaljohn-Little)

There’s a brief, special moment that happens before the start of a sporting event. It happens after the last note of the national anthem and right before the crowd breaks out in cheers.

A beat of complete silence, of nothingness, but it somehow conveys anticipation and excitement all at the same time.

I hope our Spoofhounds and Bearcats live a lifetime in that very moment.

Spoofhound football and soccer teams and Bearcat football, soccer and volleyball have some very important games coming up. Many have reached a point in their seasons few others make, and it’s a lot of pressure on one so young. They are representing their team, their family, their community.

When people say “it’s just a game,” we know it’s not “just a game.” The practices. The drills. The late nights. The early mornings. The injuries. School. Jobs. Family responsibilities. College and job searches. They all add up, weigh on their shoulders.

Sometimes we forget they’re just kids.

So when my son walks out onto the field Saturday and places his hand over his heart for the national anthem - before what could be his final game in a Spoofhound uniform - I hope he soaks it all in. Teammates to his left and to his right. His coaches. His friends and family in the stands.

I’ll tell him to take a deep breath. Then let it out, along with any angst or nerves he feels.

And in that beat after the anthem finishes and before the cheering starts, to live in that special moment. Of silence. Of excitement. Of possibilities for everything ahead. File it away in the corner of his memory where only the very special moments live. Then go do what they’ve all been working so hard to do: win.