Four-n-More: Hard Work Pays Off

When we knew we were moving to Dallas, we spent hours and hours researching the area. We chose this specific suburb because it has really good schools and they keep the schools small. In fact, the school board passed a referendum that no school in this district can be larger than 4A. We liked the idea of smaller schools especially where there are surrounding suburbs that have mega-schools with 5,000 students attending.

We narrowed our search down even farther when we found the smallest, newest school in town. Este and Ethan both wanted to play football and neither wanted to go to a school where everybody had been best friends since kindergarten. The smaller school meant a better opportunity for them in sports and the fact that it is on the new side of town meant that everybody had moved into the area within the last few years. We told our realtor we would only look at houses within the Lone Star High School boundaries. My boys became Lone Star Rangers overnight.

Then Este decided not to play football. He is taking several AP classes this year and wanted to concentrate on keeping his 4.0. He planned on still playing soccer but, decided against football. How can a parent argue with that?

His decision left Ethan completely alone on the high school football team to learn all the coaches, players, systems, and plays. He woke up at 6:00 am every morning this summer and walked to the school (it's only half a mile away). He would come home four hours later drenched in sweat (you could literally ring the sweat out of his shirt). He would be beat up and exhausted but he woke up every day on his own.

We told him just to work hard because coaches noticed more than he realized. He worked and worked and worked some more.The coaches would yell at him yet he didn't let it get him down. He stuck to it. In one of the earlier scrimmages of the season he struggled. The guy across the line from him was bigger than him. He was having a hard time blocking him. The coaches in Utah would pull a player off the field if he made a mistake and keep him off the field for the rest of the game. Ethan didn't play much back there. During this game the coaches said, "Yes. The kid is bigger than you but you can do this. You just have to figure out how to get him. Now go do it!" The coach left him in the game and Ethan held his man the rest of the game. Ethan learned that game that he could do hard things.

As the season went on Ethan's confidence and abilities increased significantly. He was respected by his coaches and players. He was known for his work ethic and the fact that he never gave up. EVER.

By the end of the season, he was not only starting JV, he was playing offense, defense, and special teams. He went from last year barely setting foot on the field to this year barely stepping off the field the entire game. The coaches told him if he has a good off season and continues to grow there is the possibility that he'll be on varsity next year when he is a junior.

Here are some highlights from his season. I am so proud of my #56.

As the season came to a close the coaches pointed out Ethan's hard work to the entire team on several occasions. After the last game of the season, Ethan was mentioned by name on the team's website (click here) for having a "good game anchoring the defensive line".

I am so grateful for what he learned and more important what he has taught me this season.

P.S. On a side note, I just wanted to point out the difference between JV football in Utah vs. Texas. In Utah, the JV football game is played in the early afternoon. Most parents attend and maybe a few grandparents. That's it.

Here, the JV fooball game has cheerleaders, concessions, announcer, and they often played "under the lights" in front of the crowd with students, friends, and family. There is even half time entertainment.