When you grow up in Iowa, you quickly figure out which families are Cyclones and which are Hawkeyes. Yes, there might be a few outliers who cheer for Drake or UNI or, god forbid, the Huskers, but the majority of the state is either a Cyclone or a Hawkeye fan. And the state of Iowa has taken this inner-state rivalry to the next level with spirit days at elementary schools, workplace lunch tailgates, and decorated spirit cookies right before the annual Cy-Hawk matchup.
What I’m trying to say is, football is a big deal. It divides, but football brings us all together.
Football unites.
There’s nothing else like it. Our particular small town places high school football players in kindergarten classrooms to instill a sense of school spirit in the early years. I still remember the high school senior football player who was in my son’s kindergarten class. My five year-old adored his football player and talked about him constantly. I would have never guessed we would have gone to as many high school football games as we did that kindergarten year. There’s nothing like seeing your whole town come together on a Friday night to cheer alongside the cheerleaders, clap along to the pep band, and hollar for the dance team.
We all start somewhere.
Now that my son is in middle school, he’s so excited for his first year of tackle football. I’m thrilled for him to experience that sense of camaraderie and to know those football players he’s cheering for, all started where he was – a scrawny kid in football pads as big as him. He knows it’s a big deal to be representing his school and to have pride in what he’s doing.
Football is an excuse to gather.
Whether it’s cheering for your hometown high school football team on Friday nights, sitting on the bleachers with other football parents, or tailgating with friends during a college football game, football brings us all together. No matter if you’re cheering for the Cyclones or the Hawkeyes, there’s no other sport like football that unites a town or a state for the same cause. Football gives us all the excuse to gather together with friends and family and simply enjoy being with your people.
If you’d like to get your son or daughter involved in a football league, visit Future for Football’s local league finder.
