If you are an athlete, young or old, make sure you thank your Mom and give her a big hug.
If you are a current football player, make sure you hug her with proper form… chin up, head on the correct side, arms wrapped around… DO NOT take her to the ground.
This past weekend, I had the privilege of attending Football Alberta’s U16 North Selection Camp and U18/U17 North Selection Camps. While the field was packed with elite athletes and fantastic coaches, there was a different kind of energy radiating from the sidelines. Watching the next generation of Canadian talent is always a thrill, but the highlight for me wasn’t just the play on the turf — it was the community in the stands.
A Community Beyond the Yard Lines
The stands were filled with parents, grandparents, and mentors, all united by their support for these young players. It was a weekend of great conversations, ranging from catching up with old friends to meeting new ones:
– Legacy Connections: I spoke with a former Golden Bear player who shared stories of his son’s progress and his older daughter’s time on the field.
– New Traditions: My favourite conversation was with a wonderful woman from Leduc. Having emigrated to Canada as a young girl, she grew up in a “soccer family” and spent years as a soccer mom.
When her son decided to try out for football, their world shifted. She shared how much she is enjoying this new sports culture, admitting that while she’s still mastering the rules of the game, she has fully embraced the experience. It was clear from our talk that she isn’t a spectator anymore — she’s a Football Mom for life.
Moms are special. They make our worlds a better place. I want to share the stories of three special moms in my life. They are three different women, three different Moms, three different football moms.
August 20, 2005. The Edmonton Eskimos are hosting Damon Allen and the Toronto Argonauts. The game is televised on CBC, but announcers are absent due to a work strike. Ricky Ray puts on a record breaking performance, setting team records in passing attempts (56) and completions (40) but the Eskimos lose 22-18. A few hours before that game, my bride and I took some wedding photos at Commonwealth Stadium. She didn’t know it at the time, but that was the start of her becoming a “Sports Mom” and to be more specific, a “Football Mom”. It started out when our kids were young. She would join Grandpa with stroller in hand and take the kids to Eskimo training camp or practices. As they grew, she helped the pre-school class attend practice as well, throwing in an LRT ride to make the event complete. Then, many football games in Section C, sitting down low, catching mini-footballs, and watching the five-year-old correct Roughrider fans. Enrolling the kids in the Eskimo Flag Football League, Atom, Peewee, and Bantam Football, and now High School Football. She has done all the running around, cheering, fundraising, volunteering, and washing and tending of the bumps and bruises. There are a few more years left of their ‘good ol’ days” while we enjoy the game. Your love for our family is undeniable. You will always be our quarterback. We love you.
August 25, 1982. In a Bantam football match-up, the Union Tractor Crawlers (pre-Edmonton Chargers) defeated the Pop Shoppe Broncos 49-0 at Bonnie Doon High School. It was wet, rainy, and muddy. It was my first football game, my 13th birthday, and my Mom’s first game as a Football Mom. We lost terribly, but it was one of the best days of my life. My Mom was no expert in the game but over the next 14 years and three boys playing, her knowledge grew and got to know each of her boys better. She washed my football pants every day after practice. She sat in a few emergency rooms as well. When I couldn’t watch my brothers play, I got the game breakdown, feedback on officiating, and if the coaches did a good job from her. As we boys left home, she continued watching games, expanded sports, and became a ‘Sports Grandma.’ October 20, 2023, cancer won the battle with her. She passed on the anniversary of the Johnny Bright Incident, a fact not lost on me. A couple of weeks after her passing, I and my youngest son drove down the street from Johnny Bright Bowl, stopped in to visit her grave to show her his Peewee Provincial Championship Medal he just won. As I watched him tell her about the game. I thought about the many games and those practice pants. Love you Mom.
My Grandmother and I had a fun relationship, as she would love to tease me and I would tease her back. My Grandmother knew no football rules, no football strategies, no football anything really, other than this grand kid loves football and the Edmonton Eskimos. The easiest teasing target for her was the Esks, but something weird happened. A certain “Gizmo” Williams flipped on the scene. His remarkable play made highlights on all broadcasts, in all markets, game-after-game, year-after-year. She fell in love with ‘Giz’. In my first year consulting with the Eskimos, I had to coordinate with assistant coach Brad Miller, as he was a tech coordinator for the team. Through him, I managed to set up a meeting between Grandma and Giz. It was August 17, 2000. The Eskimos were in Regina to play the Roughriders. I jailbroke my 93-year-old Grandmother out of her old folks home and took her to old Taylor Field. As we get there, the Esks finish their walk through. Coach Miller sends Giz over to the sidelines and he gets swamped by kids looking for autographs. He politely tells them he will get to all their autographs but has to visit a special fan. Gizmo sits down with her and has a five-minute conversation that makes her feel like the most important person in the world. She passed away at 100 years old in December 2007, the same day we found out we were expecting our first child. It was as if she were making room for him in this world. Love you, Grandma.
Sports are the ultimate classroom. Beyond the footwork and the acumen, they provide a safe arena to develop the character and resilience needed for real life. But sometimes, the game gets heavy. Lately, I’ve seen the harshest side of that reality. To two terrific young men, Ethan and Nolan, who are currently navigating the aftermath of horrific accidents: your character is solid, and your resolve is proven. But more importantly, you have the ultimate “defensive coordinator” in your corner – your Mom’s. Recovery is a long game, and my best advice is simple: Listen to Mom. She won’t steer you wrong.
Sports are, at their core, a bonding opportunity. For three generations, the women in my life used the gridiron to weave a bond that time, distance, and even loss cannot break. Those of us lucky enough to be caught in that web are eternally changed.
To sports moms everywhere, my Mother’s Day gift to you is a prayer:
(Please alter the sport, vehicle, time period that suits you)
The Football Mom’s Prayer
Dear Lord,
Give me the strength to survive this season—from the early morning practices to the late-night drives home.
Grant me peace as I watch my child take the field. Keep them safe from injury, shield their body from harm, and give them the courage to play with their whole heart. Help me remember that while I see my little child, You see the adult they are becoming through every tackle and every triumph.
Give me patience for the referees (even when I’m sure they missed the call), grace for the coaches, and a voice that stays loud enough to cheer but kind enough to encourage.
Bless my car, that it may hold the smell of cleats and sweat without permanent damage, and bless my hands as they wash out stains I didn’t think were possible to remove.
Help me to be a source of unconditional love, whether the scoreboard shows a win or a loss. Let me be the first person they see when they look at the stands, knowing that no matter what happens in those four quarters, I am always their biggest fan.
Amen.
Is it Mothers Day Yet?
