We Want All The Smoke
This past weekend Brysen and I started a new journey. He played with a new team so that he could have the experience of facing tougher competition and loved it. To translate that into football terms, “We want all the smoke.” We currently live in a small city that has a lot of teams and the talent is spread out far too much. For that reason Brysen is unable to play against a lot of the top teams or players unless we seek out those opportunities via all-star games. Previously, I mentioned youth phenoms and how important it is to be aware of what’s going on and marketing your child. When I found out the #1 team in the country was coming to FL I asked Brysen if he wanted to play and we jumped on the opportunity. I reached out to the coach of a nearby team and they were more than happy to have Brysen join since they already knew who he was.
We were scheduled to play three games during the weekend. First game of the weekend Friday night, followed by two more games on Sunday. The final game on Sunday would be against the #1 team in the country and defending National Champions, Georgia Thoroughbreds. He was beyond excited to be able to show what he could do. We had to make a tough decision to miss his regular team practice that week so he could practice with his new team and be able to play. There are just certain opportunities you can’t pass up. He picked up the plays pretty quickly and bonded with the other kids well.
Friday night was an experience Brysen has never had. He played Safety, a position he has always played because he’s so fast, but he didn’t make a single tackle. The guys in front of him held it down like neither of us had seen before. We quickly realized that he hasn’t played on a team with quite this much talent. He also went a few possessions without touching the ball on offense and the team was scoring. Although not getting the ball right away was expected since he was on a new team.
However, once he got his first touch he picked up right where he left off last football season. He immediately showed why we call him B-Fye. The B stands for Bear. Last year Brysen began a 13 game streak of scoring at least two touchdowns before it ended this spring when played against kids that were two years older. Following the game RNR sports media quickly grabbed him for a feature.
After his game we stuck around to watch Thoro play against the Fort Lauderdale Hurricanes and do a little scouting. The Hurricanes came in as the #2 team in the country. Watching the game it was evident that both teams had a ton of talent and skill. It was also evident that there wasn’t a kid like Brysen on the field. I knew we had a chance on Sunday to shock the world of youth football. Which is what were there for. Thoro wore down the Hurricanes in the second half and finished with a 28-6 win but the game was a lot closer than what the scoreboard showed.
Finally, it was our day. Sunday came and we made the two hour drive to play our two games. I had filmed Thoro on Friday so I had a game plan to share on how to put the kids in places to be successful. Unfortunately, Brysen told me he was sick when we got there. “Brysen you better take these tums and drink this water. I’m not entertaining that today.” Brysen has a habit of morning stomach aches so I try to be prepared with meds on hand. He complained and rolled around in the car for awhile but hopped in line once the team got there and got ready for work.
As we got ready and warmed up for our first game we could tell something was off. A few teams scheduled to play during the weekend hadn’t shown up and it was rumored that Thoro would not be playing us. Like I’ve said, be aware and know what’s going on. I immediately reached out to one of their coaches and confirmed that they would not be playing. They had a real issue with some of their kids come up and a lot of their team was forced to head back to Georgia on Saturday. The disappointment was real. We would not have the opportunity we came for but the tournament director managed to get us a second game for the day.
Brysen played well overall during the weekend and was still able to showcase his ability to a new audience. Against tougher competition than he is use to he still stood out with limited touches. He also didn’t complain about not getting the ball. For a kid that takes pride in being the man and earning his victories he definitely played well with his new teammates. All he talked about is how much fun he had and how he wants to play hard teams all the time from now on. He will get his chance but it will have to wait.
Once we returned home I had to make an announcement regarding his situation since I’m the local park President for the football program. Once the pictures and videos came out of Brysen in a new jersey I received a ton of questions about what was going on. I let everyone know that although Brysen can play 8u tackle football this year he will be playing 10u for most of the season. We have agreed to play preseason and post season with his new team the Northside (Ocala) Pride because that’s what he wants to do. However, he will stick to playing the regular season with his home team, West Augustine Baby Jackets. Another tough decision but I think it’s the best move for our family at this time.
He’s young so he will get plenty more chances to compete. But its clear that a young age B-Fye has decided, he wants all the smoke. And I’ll do my best to make sure he gets it. So far when its cleared he’s always been one of the few standing tall. Until next time, B U!
