Senior Night

Senior athlete night is usually the last home game of the season.

Alas, with things as messed up as they are right now, we aren’t sure which home game will be the last of the season.

And so, Alyssa’s school decided to hold senior night senior night on the first home game of the season.

I mean, for all we know, the first home game might be the last, right? I mean, seriously, though.

So we got an email the Monday before the Friday of that game, letting us know that all seniors who were participating in fall sports would be honored at the home game that Friday.

Alyssa, for those not in the know, is in marching band, which is considered a fall sport. I know.

But those kids work REALLY hard. They go to band camp for weeks during the summer, they work hard to learn the music and the choreography for the half-time show.

I’ll be honest. I was in the marching band in high school and even I didn’t think of it as a sport back then but whatever. If the school wants to recognize them as fall athletes, who am I to complain? I’m glad my girl gets the accolades she deserves.

The way the senior athletes are recognized is that they’re given a card to fill out detailing their interests, the things they participate in, their parents’ names, you know, the usual.

Then, at the start of the game, the student and their parents are introduced to the spectators and the card is read describing the student.

When we found out about Senior Night early that week, Alyssa informed Tom, “Dad, you’re going to that football game.”

He gave a look that said he didn’t think he was going to the game.

She told him, “You’re going. You have to walk on the field with me and Mom.”

I assured him that there would be fewer spectators there this year because Governor DeWine has made it so that only parents and immediate family members can attend sporting events for the foreseeable future. Football at Edon is a pretty big thing. The entire community usually comes out for the home games.

Not this year! Nope. Each student athlete was given four vouchers to be given out for people to come to the games. This will ensure crowd control.

Somewhat mollified, Tom agreed to attend the ceremony honoring the athletes. “But,” he amended, “I’m NOT staying for the game.”

Duh.

No one expected him to stay for the game. He and Olivia can scamper away as soon as the ceremony is over.

I will stay, though, because hello, I have to watch the half-time show. That’s the whole reason I go to the games anyway. I always say that I’m only there for the band. I have to watch my girl’s last half-time show. This might be the only performance they give this year and I’ll be there for it.

We’re going to wring every single moment out of this senior year that we can. We realize that it might be even more abbreviated than last year’s senior year. So…here we go.