can I borrow a calculator?

Day 3 of Spirit Week was an exciting one.  The day's events included the annual Powderpuff Football game.  Our junior and senior girls faced off in flag football, the boys acted as coaches and cheerleaders.  I have mixed feelings about this event always.  I am a huge fan of the idea of supporting our female athletes.  In fact, the crowd was quite large and plenty rowdy.  But of course our boys always push the limits of parody wearing matching short shorts with words emblazoned across the rear.  They did lead the fans in rousing cheers and even created some interesting pyramids and lifts. 

The game was rough and close with several tackles rather than simple flag pulling.  The seniors led at the half 13-12, but the juniors came back to score one more time.  In the the end, the juniors upset the seniors, 18-13. 

As I walked toward the parking lot, I thought about this event and listened to the kids talking.  "This was the best game ever," proclaimed one male cheerleader.  "That was so much fun," another junior raved excitedly.  My own junior cub and coach told me the class plan was to "win everything."  I am sure a bunch of seniors have other ideas, but the rivalry is clearly on.

There were a couple of minor injuries and a possible torn ACL in our starting softball catcher.  I wonder whether she will think it was worth it if she can't play this spring.  I saw her this morning, frantically hopping around in a knee brace looking to borrow a calculator to take her math test.  Gears shifted, she is already back in student mode.

I'm not sure I have any deep and meaningful revelations today.  Instead I am reminded that youth are resilient, gender stereotypes are persistent, traditions are powerful, and worry is wasteful.