To The 2011 Boys of Fall: Lessons In Purple Pride

To the Boys of Fall,

Karma is a funny thing. I remember this night about a year ago - driving down the parkway after the state championship game vs. Matawan with feelings of pride, exhilaration and happiness. Funny thing is, I felt the exact same way on my way home this year, and this is why.

I know it's not easy to lose a game - and a state championship loss just adds a bit more salt to the wound. Yet, ironically, when you look at the big picture, I mean the "big purple picture", it really is one to remember and will be for a long, long time.

As the mom of a senior football player, it has been an emotional season for me. I have always said I won't become "one of those football moms" who embarrass their kids with cow bells, face painting and God forbid the dreaded horn that sounds like a wounded cow, but that's exactly what happened.

And - I am proud of it.

No, not because you have been an awesome team, but that doesn't hurt. It's because I have had fun watching you all over the past four years become a family. But little did you know that while I watched from the stands all bundled up with cow bell in hand at Borden Stadium for four fall seasons, I have had some life lesson education of my own.

And I couldn't be prouder of the gifts that I have been given and the lessons that I have learned from the Boys of Fall.

Here they are:

You made us happy

Each Friday night (and Saturdays, too) no matter how the work weeks progressed or the troubles we may have been facing with our lives, all of us knew that we had Friday night lights to enjoy, cow bells to be rung, cheers to be chanted and fun to be had while we watched our Dawgs bring it out on field each week.

Tailgating in Piping Rock parking lot with legendary Dave Cuje and his lit up tent or having a pre-game pizza at Val's with the family, were traditions over the past four years I have always looked forward to.  Gathering with friends, discussing the big game as well as what was new with our kids was a well-needed vacation from the daily grind of our lives.

Everyone was happy.

You helped build a community

With those games, pre-game festivities, meetings with the football parents and all the fun stuff in between, you helped build the Rumson - Fair Haven community, and we want to thank you for that.

Sure, it's fun to watch a winning team, but, even better, it's was just as much fun to look forward to seeing  new football bleacher friends in the stands each week. I know that my dad, a proud grandpa of one of the seniors, started to look forward to sitting with his new football cronies at the home games. They went from discussing the previous games highlights, to broader, sometimes more dangerous, topics such as what the Jets and Giants were up to and how they were playing while laughter soon followed.

For me, getting to know more of the parents, about their lives, fun stories about their sons and the whole "college talk thing" with the senior parents, made me feel like I was part of a big family, not just a community.

Each year, the Dawg momentum kept getting stronger and stronger as we started to see cars getting decorated with paw prints, flyers in the store front windows and bulldog pics showing up around town. We would all look forward to Tom Kirman's updates and pictures on his Facebook being the ultimate Dawg fan. We had fun focusing on one thing in common - our love for the Dawgs.

Simply put, you made us feel like we were part of something - the big picture - again.

You taught us perseverance

Each and every game, we watched you go out on the field with your game face on determined to not let anything or anybody stop you from doing your best on and off that field.

When the going got tough, although you may have been worried, you didn't show it and kept going. To me, I would sometimes equate you all to those Everyready battery commercials because no matter what you kept "going and going and going!"

I remember last year at the state championship game versus Matawan watching how many of the opposing teammates did not display the best on the field etiquette, but you guys remained classy, unfazed and kept your eye on the prize. And, the best part is, you continued with that same attitude on the field throughout this season.

What a great display of sportsmanship.

You are mentors

Whether you know it or not, you have a lot of people looking up to you - from little Pop Warner players to grandparents.

As my mom said on the phone today, she learned so much about the game this year and not about the plays, but about determination and staying focused. How cool is that? She now incorporates that into her life and will fondly think about her Dawg days on the stands watching her grandson and his awesome teammates having fun and working hard.

Who would have thought that you could have taught us all so much?

But you did.

You make us proud

Yes, you do.

Not because of your history making season, it is because of the people you have become, on and off the field, the lessons you have learned, the future that you will have and the relationships that you have helped build.

You are all champions.

Thank you, Dawgs - to the coaches, managers, cheerleaders, trainers and players, for all that you have given us over the past few years. I know this senior parent will never forget the lessons learned from the stands this year.

As I look out my window and see my car decorated with purple, I most definitely will not get the Windex out anytime soon. It will stay proudly on display until the next rain storm or car wash run.

Yes, I am one of "those football moms' and will be for awhile - even after my senior goes off to college. I am not done with my bleachers days yet.

And just for the record, my purple pride is kicking into high gear today.

Way to go, Boys of Fall. You make us proud and will for a long, long time.

From our hearts to yours - we thank you.