I grew up in an era of “no sports.” There were no girls sports in my hometown. I thought I was tall enough, taller than most of my peers, and was totally convinced that I could be good at basketball with some coaching and practice. We lobbied for sports but it didn’t come to fruition in time for me to learn whether I had any ability or not.
So my experience with sports was from the music side. That was my field 100 yards long where we rehearsed, marched and entertained in high school and college. That was my seat in the bleachers in the gym when the pep band fired up the crowd, played a rousing “Star-Spangled-Banner” and then proceeded to entertain ourselves when the athletes fell short as they often did.
I wrote about what I loved about a specific fall weekend in this post that listed MARCHING BAND as a big favorite. It remains a favorite. Competitions, whether a participant or spectator, delight my ears and my eyes. Of course when I know some of the bands or competitors, it’s worth the drive and the photos. Remembering becomes even more important.
When I searched my blog posts, I was shocked. I didn’t panic. I called on my #OLW to “be patient.” I continued to search. I was not giving up. And finally with a change in search terms, I found it. This post from seven years ago. Link
This Saturday will be the 10th and final Ladies Football Academy at the University of Iowa. It will be my fifth because of course, Covid canceled the last two. I anticipate the day’s schedule will be similar. Assigned groups, rotating activities, student/athletes leading us through drills and sessions intended to inform, educate, and even entertain us as we fundraise for the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital.
Here’s the site. link If you have a few minutes to watch the video, my sister is at 1:06 and our group is, yes, holding a Hawkeye player at 2:04. Fun, learning, sporting, and raising money for a good cause.
Yes, I love football. High school and college level. Professional football … not so much.
What’s your plan for the weekend?
I will be with about 500 friends doing the Swarm, tackling some challenging drills, and reviewing WHY I love both football and the Hawkeyes!
Even though the stands will be mostly empty, this is the music I will hear on Saturday!
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Good for you! I am a total non sporty person here. One thing that really caught my eye in your writing is the searching through former posts- I almost NEVER tag posts and I know I should to be more reflective… Have fun- you are such a model of lifelong learning!
Erika,, I am so “graceless” that I’m sure I would have been a disaster in sports, but my mind was ready for me to be a superstar! I’m always searching my posts to see if I’ve “already written” about that topic. WordPress does pretty decent searches even when “untagged”.
I was part of Marching Band in high school and still fondly remember our 200-plus member band doing pretty elaborate movements on the field, and marvel, even today, at what our band director was able to coax out of us all.
Kevin
Wow, Kevin, 200 members in a high school band. That’s a lot of organizing to marvel about and then the logistics of 200 bodies moving in the right ways! Yay!
Fran, I so enjoyed learning about this fun sports event in Iowa. SO glad you added the link. Seeing the pale pink shirts having duch fun with the gold and black jerseyed players all for a good cause was so enjoyable to view! I never played in a marching band but I love watching and listening to them!! Thanks for sharing a slice of Iowa today with me.
Sally, we chuckle over the shirts. It’s basically whatever Nike wants to donate that didn’t sell well. But it’s fun to be a part of the “team” for such a great cause. In 10 years, this group has raised millions! I was ready to write a good news story today!
Sounds like you have a fun and exciting weekend planned. I must admit that the first thing that popped into my mind when I saw “pink ladies” was the musical, Grease.
Ah, song and dance would also be fun!
LOL
Go Hawkeys! I grew up in Iowa – although not a bit sports fan it is alway fun to cheer Iowa Hawkeyes! Have fun this weekend!
Yay, Iowa! What a fan base! When I travel, I often have black and gold that is commented on … like NYC subways and streets. Go, HAWKS!
I love slices like this one that reveal something so fascinating about someone. So fun to read and to watch the videos–thanks so much for sharing, Fran!
Thanks, Amy! So much fun to think about early dreams and how they’ve changed with time!