football ANTecdote

So, I'm at football practice, and I'm still a little uneasy about this whole manly man, football thing. Ha. I never thought I would say that. But being at a football practice is much different than being a fan. Any man or boy would probably tell you that, but now I know. It is different. It's a behind the scenes look that, as much as I'm loving it, is still uncomfortable at times. I am a girl. Yes. True statement. Girls can't play football. False. I know I have to prove it to them but I am doing it little by little. We were doing dline drills where they were supposed to push us (the coaches) back. They were going easy on me, and I knew it. One kid finally went hard and another kid actually yelled out, "Go easy on her, she's a girl!" I quickly ran back and yelled "if you go easy on me in these drills, how are you going to be able to go hard in games? Do it right. Give me 10." They seemed affected and the next kid actually tried, maybe because he didn't want to do push up, but I knocked him on his butt. He was basically a sacrifice. I didn't want to knock any of them over but I had to show them that they couldn't, shouldn't, go easy on me. Hopefully it worked. The fact that they now know I can give push-ups out is really helping my cause, I almost wish I could do that in class ;)

Anyway, my story... so we were doing a drill trying to teach them to go on 1, 2, or 3 and I was snapping the ball. All of a sudden I got really itchy. I looked down and there were ants all over my foot and ankle, crawling up my leg. In the most non-girly way possible I yelled, "why are there ants all over me?!?" In which I received the non-chalant response, "Coach, you're snapping on top of an ant hill." Of course, that makes perfect sense, and I was. I was standing on an ant hill, continuously snapping the ball and launching ants onto myself. Perfect. At least they didn't make fun of me.

I crave respect. So I will get it.... eventually.

Schwartz