By Tommi Vincent
During the National Football League Draft, we hosted the moms and sons of the Walverly-Belmont Bulldogs of Nashville, TN. We were asked on many occasions why not invite the fathers. There was an assumption they would have a greater appreciation for the experience. There is a very simple explanation why the moms were invited, I am a mother. Also, women are sports fanatics too!
For over 27 years I have accumulated enough miles on my truck than I care to imagine, packed more coolers, by my estimation been to over 15,000 hours of practices, toted plenty of funky young men, lived out of my trunk, napped in the backseat…, and it has been awesome. When I encounter another football mom, I tip my hat, because I know her experience. There are many doors that can open from participating in sports. The opportunity to pour fuel into a mom sowing into her child’s dreams is an absolute honor. This is not taking away from all of the football dads. We know you rock too!
The objective was to provide the young football players with an opportunity to have a meaningful experience at the draft. Our hope was to play some small part in calibrating the trajectory of their lives. As Troy Sr. often says, “If they can see it, they can be it.” Seeds of hope spring forth harvest of realized potential. Each young man was drafted as number “1”. Why? They are the ones who have the power to determine their future and the dream starts now. If we encourage all young people to dream beyond what they can imagine, open their eyes to possibilities beyond the confines of their community, the impact will magnanimous. When they believe they can, they will. Obstacles will become stepping stones, no’s will become fuel for their rockets. While football is a sport they play, football is not who they are. Instilling confidence will aide them in excelling on the gridiron, the classroom, and beyond.
It was an awesome experience for everyone. It is always special to meet wonderful people and to support each other on the journey!
