Homecoming, Hope, and Coming Home

It's homecoming week in our small town.

When you grow up in a community like mine, homecoming is about more than a football game, it's about tradition.

My Incredible daughter and Spider-Man son

Kung Fu and Nerd

The kids have themed dress-up days, compete in games, build floats, auction off football jerseys for charity, have a parade, TP classmates' houses...all building up to Friday Night.

Cleaning the TP off the roof and out of the gutters at 5 a.m.

Tonight there will be a parade. Classes will showcase their floats. The high school band will march. Kings and Queens will be crowned.


The football team will warm-up.

I don't know what the pre-game pep talk from the coaches will be like. If it were up to me, I'd say something like this:

It's Homecoming.

Parents, Alumni, Fans and people in our community will gather tonight to support you.

They will be reminiscing about homecoming games past.

They will say things like "back in the day..."

They will watch you keep the Hope and Tradition of Homecoming alive.

For some of you, this will be the last homecoming game you play.

It is not expected to be an easy game.

You are not expected to win.

But 

It's Homecoming.

It's like the Christmas of the Football Season.

Anything can happen.

Someday, years from now, you may forget some of the games you played during your high school career.

But, for good or for bad,

 you will never forget your four Homecoming games.

So no matter what the odds are

or what the scoreboard says

You go out there and make EVERY PLAY 

a memorable one.

Get fired up

Stay fired up

Believe in your own abilities

and those of your teammates.

And someday, when you come back home from wherever you are

You will be the ones in the stands

Reminiscing about the 2014 Homecoming Game

And the Team that YOU were a part of

Reliving the plays you made

The unbelievable field goals

And how 

even though the odds were not in your favor

THAT WAS THE YEAR

YOU BEAT THE ODDS

And "Buried the Bears"

That's my pep talk. I know it's true because I have been there. Not on the football field, but a part of the Wildcat Homecoming traditions. 

24 years ago, my senior class float had this poem and theme:  

For 20 years, Solon rolled like thunder.

In 1990, they'll be 6 feet under.

Burry the Spartans.

We weren't expected to win.

But we did. 

And we are still talking about it today.

It's a great story to re-tell.

Wildcats--Make tonight's game a GREAT Story to Re-tell!

Go Cats!