Stalking the Sidelines

When Henry was in the hospital last January, he was having a hard time. He was in pain but didn't want to take his pain medication, he felt terrible (rightfully so, I think) and he was just being contrary about stuff like getting out of bed and eating. So the hospital nutrionist, in an attempt to cheer him up, had her husband come to visit him. Turns out her husband is the coach of our local high school football team and he brought about a dozen of the players with him. They brought Henry a helmet, a tshirt, and a lot of good cheer and motivation. They stayed for a while and talked football with him. He loved it. Before they left, the coach asked Henry if he'd like to come on the sidelines during one of their games during the next football season. Jay and I were grateful that they took the time to visit Henry in the hospital and wrote them a note to tell them so.

Henry never forgot the offer to come down on the field during a game and started asking about it as this summer progressed, so a few weeks ago Jay called and left a message for the coach to see if that was something that he could do. He didn't return the call before the first game so we told Henry that he probably just got busy and forgot and Jay took the boys to the game anyway. But last week, he called. He invited Henry to come on the field during warmups, into the locker room, and watch the game on the sideline during Friday night's game. Not many things geek Henry up more than live sports, so having an insider's view was pretty special for him.

Here is a view from the sidelines. He looks thrilled to have his picture taken:

This was during the "Moment of Silence" that they had before taking the field:
The players were so good with Henry. Lots of them remembered him from the hospital and they all made a point to chat with him throughout the course of the evening. As you can see, they were happy to have their picture taken, unlike Henry:
He even got to go onto the field with the captains for the coin toss. He's the short guy in the hood - it was raining before the game:
He had a great time. The only thing that would have made it better would have been a victory for Sky View (well, not having a 45 minute lightening/rain delay would have been nice). We are so appreciative to Coach Ahnder and the team for giving him such a great experience. Go Bobcats!