As the summer starts winding down,
As school starts back at the beginning of August,
As the temperature starts to drop – wait a minute – we are in Alabama so that doesn’t happen…
But one thing is for sure, in the fall, everyone’s focus shifts from vacations and lazy summer days to FOOTBALL season!
Fall in the south is traditionally known as the season for Football – tailgating, going to the games, watching games on television all day long, or however you choose to spend your Saturdays. Living in a college town makes football season even more exciting as we are right in the center of the action on Saturdays. From tailgating to Tiger Walk, to Toomer’s Lemonade to Samford Hall, the eagle soaring, and who can forget rolling the oaks at Toomer’s Corner, it’s all right here in our sweet home on the Plains.
For my family, our weekends pretty much revolve around football. Plans are made for weekends when there is not a home game, as we already have a booked weekend if the Tigers are playing at home. For home games, friends come to visit, tailgates last all day, and of course, we have to be inside Jordan-Hare cheering as loud as we can for the Tigers! The friendships, memories, and times shared during football season makes it one of my favorite times of the year.
Whether you yell “War Eagle” or “Roll Tide,” the love of the game brings people together. A Saturday in the South is not complete with decking out in your team colors and cheering your team to victory.
As a child, my love for football began as I would watch the Auburn Tigers play on television and attend a couple of games each season. I remember visiting the Eagle’s Cage, going to Tiger Walk, and exploring campus with my parents on game day. As I started thinking about college, only one place felt like home – Auburn University. Attending a football game in 2004, with my dad, sealed the deal. A decision was made, and it turned out to be one of the best that led me to the lifelong friends I met at Auburn and my husband. I started college at Auburn University in Fall of 2006 and became an Alumni in 2011 – those 5 years are 5 of the best years of my life and established friendships that are still going strong – almost 10 years later! Our house has become the central gathering place for all of our friends – from Chattanooga, Athens (Alabama), Atlanta, Baltimore, Nashville – everyone wants to be in one place on game day and that’s in Auburn!
With all of the activities surrounding football, there is always something going on that helps bring families and friends together. Aside from keeping our friendships going strong, another one of my fondest memories during football season is sharing my love for Auburn with my son. He loves the Tigers and loves going to “Aubie’s House” almost as much as I do. Watching his eyes light up as the Auburn University Marching Band takes the field, is just amazing and I am so fortunate to be able to share these things with him. His love for Aubie is so sweet – there’s just nothing like a toddler running up to Aubie and giving him a huge hug! Living right here close to the university provides so many opportunities to attend various sporting events and all of the celebrations centered around them, which are so magical in the eyes of our children.
With all of the fun that comes with football season, the game of football is centered around those that play the game. The game of football is important to the young student-athletes as it promotes sportsmanship, community building, leadership, academic achievements, and positive character building, which are life skills that they will carry into their future careers and families. In addition to the commitment of players and coaches to ensure these skills are built, safety has become a top priority to ensure these young student-athletes are able to perform to the highest level possible.
Safety has come to the forefront of discussions about football – of course we want to win, but that silence of the stadium sends chills down my spine when one of our beloved Tigers is injured on the field. The game of football has become faster and more physical throughout the years and attention to this has also increased with more trainings for players and coaches and also developments in technology that help protect our favorite players.
The National Football Foundation, NFHS, and USA Football have all implemented protocols that call for research and training that will help promote the safety of our football players, so they are able to continue providing the entertainment that we love so much! Football Matters is an organization that aims to promote the development of these skills and to bring attention to the importance of football in our culture – especially here in Alabama where – of course – the million-dollar questions is…Auburn or Alabama?
For more information and resources on the skills that come with the game of football, how to get your child involved in the sport, and so much more, check out the Football Matters website or Facebook or Instagram.
