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Today was Brendon’s first Jr. High School scrimmage in football. He had a lot of fun, got to play starting offense and defense, and it looks like the coaches are looking at him as a possible starting center. Brendon really enjoys it, and seems to be really getting along well with his friends.

I took this picture of him while he was walking back from getting some water after he was in a number of plays. It looks like he’s the only person on the field, which is kind of neat. I did some post-processing, but for the most part there is very little done to this photo.

It was nice to see how well he was doing, and how comfortable he feels being on the team this year. The first year was tough for him, and last year was where he learned so much and was trying to find himself as a player. This year, he seems to have found himself, and  he appears to be comfortable with being a leader on the team. He’s often showing other kids where to stand, how to get ready, etc. He’s been asked to help other kids after football practice with their stance, conditioning, etc. He likes that he’s looked to for help, and it’s helped him grow so much as a little man. His grades in school are up (way up!), and his social life seems to be greatly improved over last year as well. It’s heart-warming to see as a parent, and I beam when I watch him interact with his friends, coaches, etc.

Last year, he didn’t want to play football at the beginning of the year. His first year was very tough, and there were lots of difficulties with his first team (mostly his having to get used to being a football player). We told him that we really wanted him to keep trying, and that if after three weeks he didn’t like it, we’d let him quit. Well, he never did quit. He ended up loving it, and even lamenting the end of the season once it was over. He has been waiting for this season to start all summer, and we’re so glad for him that it’s finally here. He is so happy… and so are we.