Friday Night Sights

With all of the hype surrounding the release of the movie Friday Night Lights, I found it ironic to be spending this last Friday night at a high school football game facing the number one team in the nation… the Southlake Carroll Dragons.

My focus was not on the football game, however. Our team lost 61-14… I don’t think anyone expected a miracle. But the kids played hard. In fact, the kids are what this night was all about. As a band student parent, the game itself is much lower on the priority chart than it might be, say, for the quarterback’s parents.

This night was special: it was Senior Night. Before the game, the senior students from all of the attending groups and their parents were paraded before the home crowd. Football players, marching band, cheerleaders, and spirit team…. all were recognized for something they had in common: being in their final year of high school. There is no feeling quite like walking onto the field with your kid, hearing his name being announced, followed by the cheer of recognition by his immediate peers.

I was in a reflective mood as I watched the rest of the evening’s festivities from the stands. Sure, the team got beat… but it didn’t stop the parents from cheering when they finally scored a touch down. It didn’t stop the cheerleaders from doing their bit. It didn’t keep the band from playing the fight song. I realize that I would probably get an argument from the football team… but the outcome of the game actually had very little to do with the outcome and spirit of the evening. It’s important that they played, and important that they gave their 100 percent… .but the score ultimately was irrelevant.

I haven’t seen the movie, probably won’t. But for those that have never experienced it, Friday night football is about so much more than football. It’s about the kids. It’s about their dreams, their friends, and their self esteem. It’s a stage where they can express themselves in front of their parents and friends. Whether it’s the star running back, or the goofball in the stands with his shirt off. Whether it’s the drum major or the waterboy, Friday night football is simply a backdrop for that stage we call life.

Little did I know as I walked across that field early in the evening that I would feel and experience so much… life.