Those Girls Got Game
Thursday afternoons often find us at the
school playground after school, and yesterday was no exception.
Determined to enjoy the mild weather before last night’s
storm moved through, we hung around for a while, snacking and
playing with friends. Or I should say, I sat on a bench and basked
in the sun while the girls played with friends.
And some not-so-friendly people.
Maddie and her friend Elise found two older boys – fifth graders!- on one side of the playground, tossing a football back and forth. At first the girls just watched the boys play, but after a couple minutes the girls wanted to see if they could join in.
And some not-so-friendly people.
Maddie and her friend Elise found two older boys – fifth graders!- on one side of the playground, tossing a football back and forth. At first the girls just watched the boys play, but after a couple minutes the girls wanted to see if they could join in.
“Hey, can my friend and I play?”
No answer.
“Would you two like to play with us? We like football, too!”
Now not only were the boys ignoring the girls, they were ridiculing them. “Hey, dude, don’t let the girls play! Girls can’t play football! Don’t let them join in! Girls stink at sports!”
Apparently Elise thought the boys were
wrong and grew tired of listening to the nastiness, because she
watched the football fly back and forth a few more times, then
moved in right as one boy caught it, snatching it from his
astonished arms.
“Maddie! Catch!” Elise shouted, and threw it over the boy’s head to Maddie who – I swear, this is true – actually caught the ball and began to run away from them.
Maddie took the ball and tucked it under her arm – I am not making this up – in regulation football-hold-style and began running as fast as she could. The two boys immediately gave chase, and Maddie’s free hand came out in front of her stiff-armed like she was warding off an entire defensive line. And my little third-grade ran an entire circle around the playground, heck and gone away from those fifth-grade boys having any hope of catching her.
Finally one boy muttered, “Yeah, you can deal with this,” to his friend and dropped out. The second boy wised up to Maddie’s large circle and began cutting across the playground to intercept her. Maddie saw his imminent arrival and threw a Hail Mary to Elise who, alas, found herself nowhere near the wobbly pass.
The ball’s owner began loping with faux nonchalance towards the ball as Maddie slowed and circled back, loose-limbed and ready to run again, grinning from ear to ear. The boy snatched up the ball and muttered, “I gotta go, my mom’s here.”
And as he walked out of the playground Elise called innocently after him, “That’s weird – I thought you said girls couldn’t play football, but it looks like we just played it better than you!”
I smiled into my sleeve, not wanting to condone trash talk or the battle of the sexes, but oh, so loving those fierce, strong girls at that moment.
“Maddie! Catch!” Elise shouted, and threw it over the boy’s head to Maddie who – I swear, this is true – actually caught the ball and began to run away from them.
Maddie took the ball and tucked it under her arm – I am not making this up – in regulation football-hold-style and began running as fast as she could. The two boys immediately gave chase, and Maddie’s free hand came out in front of her stiff-armed like she was warding off an entire defensive line. And my little third-grade ran an entire circle around the playground, heck and gone away from those fifth-grade boys having any hope of catching her.
Finally one boy muttered, “Yeah, you can deal with this,” to his friend and dropped out. The second boy wised up to Maddie’s large circle and began cutting across the playground to intercept her. Maddie saw his imminent arrival and threw a Hail Mary to Elise who, alas, found herself nowhere near the wobbly pass.
The ball’s owner began loping with faux nonchalance towards the ball as Maddie slowed and circled back, loose-limbed and ready to run again, grinning from ear to ear. The boy snatched up the ball and muttered, “I gotta go, my mom’s here.”
And as he walked out of the playground Elise called innocently after him, “That’s weird – I thought you said girls couldn’t play football, but it looks like we just played it better than you!”
I smiled into my sleeve, not wanting to condone trash talk or the battle of the sexes, but oh, so loving those fierce, strong girls at that moment.
Categories:
Mommy Musings
0 comments:
Post a Comment