Eight years ago, I lost my mind.

My older son, Bradley, was in his first year of youth football and was playing running back. I knew he was getting the ball because I was an assistant coach on the team and knew the play that the head coach was calling. Bradley took the handoff and scampered about 60 yards for his first touchdown. I was pretty demonstrative with my actions, which probably wasn’t the right thing to do since I was a coach, but this was my son scoring a touchdown and I didn’t care.  

Looking back on it, I have no regrets because that’s the joy of being a youth football parent. You cheer for everyone on the team, but you save your biggest cheer for your child. Today, Bradley is 11 years old and is the center on his team, so unless the East Meadow Rams run the “Fumblerooski” or the “Annexation of Puerto Rico,” he’s probably not seeing the end zone other than a touchdown celebration with his teammates.

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Fast forward eight years and it was like déjà vu all over again (with all due respect to Yogi Berra).  My younger son, Jared, is 7 years old and is playing his first season of flag football. This past Sunday, in the third game of the season, Jared lined up as the Giants’ running back for the first time, took the handoff and ran to the right. He escaped one tackle and turned on the jets down the right sideline.  I was standing behind the end zone that he was heading toward taking pictures so I wasn’t able to jump up and down.

Touchdown Jared!

I took a few more pictures, carefully placed the camera in my bag, and then I started screaming for him and clapping my hands. I still didn’t jump up and down because I think those days have passed me by, but I couldn’t have been happier for him. He was so excited to give flag football a try, and to see the smile on his face was priceless. Other parents came over to us to say congratulations and I’m not sure I acknowledged all of them because my heart was beating so fast.

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The point is that it’s OK to scream, jump up and down, clap excessively, and go bonkers when you child scores. It’s YOUR child and you should be proud. Just don’t forget to cheer for the other kids on the team when they have a great run, make a great catch or a tackle, or even score a touchdown. You are also there to cheer on the team that’s on the front of the jersey.

It feels even better when you see the jersey number of your child racing into the end zone with the ball firmly in hand.  Eight years ago, it was No. 60 that made me jump up and down.  This past Sunday, it was No. 15 that made me scream to the heavens because, again, that was my boy scoring a touchdown!

Peter Schwartz is a sports anchor for the CBS Sports Radio Network and WCBS 880 Radio in New York. His older son, Bradley, plays youth football on Long Island while his younger son, Jared, plays flag football. Peter, his wife, Sheryl, and the boys are busy cheering on the New York Jets when they’re not at a youth football field. 

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