So Tuesday’s game against Akron is Senior Night. That will be Alex’s last home game as an Eastern Michigan Eagle after six years in this program. I will be down on the field with him prior to the game as the seniors are acknowledged. My only regret is that his mom, who passed away in 2015, will not be there to celebrate with us. I already know there will be tears falling from these eyes as I stand on the field.

The seniors also participate in a session with the team after the Senior Night Eagle Walk where they introduce to their teammates someone they feel has had a significant impact on them as a player and a person. Alex has invited me to that session as his person, an honor I will not take lightly. Again, I’m sure the tears will be flowing.

As parents, we have an interesting perspective on the games and the program. We hear all kinds of things from our sons about what is going on: the good and the not-so-good; the joys and the frustrations; the hopes, the dreams, the successes, and the disappointments. Through it all, we watch as our high school boys become young men.

There have been off-field issues where our young men learn some hard lessons, tempered by the program’s community outreach activities where they learn their role as football players is relatively insignificant when compared to the needs and challenges many in this world face each day. They develop a sense of humility and concern for others.

We suffer through their injuries, feel anxiety anytime they make a mistake on the field, and try to temper our pride and enthusiasm when they, and the team, find success. We often bite our tongues in the stands as we hear fans who think they know it all criticize our sons or the coaches for what they perceive to be shortcomings. And we high-five those same fans when it all comes together in a big play and a victory.

Over the six years, this program has had its share of ups and downs. There have been plenty of games we should have won had it not been for “this play” or “that call.” And there have been many games won when the expectations and odds were against the Eagles. That first bowl victory in decades and what it meant to this program will forever be etched in our minds.

As moms and dads, there are the relationships we build with each other and the players’ extended families through week after week and year after year of tailgates and road trips. Taking down the pop-up tent and sliding the portable grill into the back of your vehicle for the last time as a football parent was indeed a bittersweet moment. Thanks to all for the memories and friendships we have built together!

Of course, there is the education our sons gain in the classroom…after all, they are STUDENT athletes. The expectations this program maintains for its players in the classroom are second to none, hence their success year after year in achieving the highest team GPA in their conference. We know the odds our sons will have a professional football career are slim, but the lifetime rewards they will reap from a quality education are invaluable.

There are the coaches and staff who spend countless hours away from their families and homes working with our sons to help them be their best, both as a player and a person. The average fan cannot fully appreciate the commitment these individuals make to our sons. And I’m sure the coaches and staff do not hear often enough how much their efforts are appreciated.

Finally, we are blessed with the fans, alumni, donors, faculty, and university administrators who support EMU athletics and athletes in making this program what it is. Without their support, this program and all the other team and individual sports at EMU would not exist. Thank you for embracing our sons; thank you for cheering them on through the ups and downs; and thank you for making a difference in their lives!