A Football Team Tackled Me!

As I have mentioned that I have never played football, so how did a football team tackle me?

Well, when I was in elementary school and my sister was in the high school band I was volunteered as a Sideline helper.  What is a sideline helper? Good question. In my case a sideline helper was someone who helped the band and the dance team, known as Dorians, set-up for the half-time show. My responsibility was to lay down the flags the Dorians were going to use in the right place and then to retrieve them after they were done. I think that it was my experience as a sideline helper that really made me love marching bands and the drums. There is something about a good marching band that is just exciting and they tend to provide such energy to a football game that nothing else can.

Anyway, I was often on the opposite side of the field from where everyone else lined up, which also meant that I was out of the way. However, on this one occasion I was not. My position had me right smack dab in the middle of the exit path of the  ’98 Vestavia Hills High School Football Team. By the time I saw the wave of boys in helmets and pads coming at me it was to late to move; and I ‘m not sure where I would have moved if I’d had the time. So I stood my ground. And before I knew it I was knocked down to the ground on my butt, by what I thought were some pretty massive boys.  I brought my hands to my head for protection and sat there hoping that known of them would step on me.

It felt like I sat that way for forever. It was probably just a few seconds, but a few seconds of panic. Until the biggest boy I’d ever seen, in person that is, stood over me and began to shout at his teammates to beware of the little girl they rushing. This kid was terrifying and to me it was like he had just spilt the Red Sea. He then helped me up and told me to be careful. And it was over and not really a big deal. But to my 11 year-old self it had been terrifying and exciting. And now I feel that if I could take on an entire high school football team at 11 and survive I should be able to take on any team at 22+.

So bring it on, because a football team tackled me.