Flag Football by Sharon O’Donnell

Flag football. It sounds easy, doesn’t it? No tackling, no real rough stuff. You just reach out and grab the runner’s flag and the play is over. Yet, as many parents and kids have found out, it is actually one of the most exasperating lessons in patience you can find in life. When the guy on the opposing team is running past you down the field, you could easily grab him and pull him to the ground. But noooo —
you have to try to grab that stupid little 3 x 6 inch flag on stuck on the side of his pants with Velcro. As the flag dances in the wind and moves with each step the player takes, you position your hand to grab it and then suddenly the player’s waist moves and the flag goes out of your grasp. And the player is off. Touchdown!

Okay, you can tell that for the past several weeks, one of my 3 sons has been playing flag football. Yep, my youngest son Jason, 11. He’s played pretty well, with some touchdown passes and a touchdown reception, but the other teams seem to score touchdown after touchdown because our guys can’t seem to grab those blankety-blank flags. Last week an opposing player scored a touchdown after running with one of our kids right on his heels all the way but our kid was unable to grab that flag. I had to laugh when our guy asked the coach, “What would happen if we tackle them?” The coach told him we’d get a penalty.

Sometimes, though, I think it would be totally worth it.

I’m off to another football game.