My son, Dylan, who is in first grade, played Rookie Tackle football this fall. The season ended a few weeks ago, with his team winning the first-grade championship. It was a spectacular finish to the season—they got to play the game on the high school football field!

Our town’s high school football team won the state championship last year, and so football is a pretty big deal in the town, as it is in most high schools across middle America. So, from the start I knew this sport would be different than the others he’s tried over the past few years, including basketball, soccer, and baseball. From the first day of “evaluations,” it was evident just how seriously this program takes itself in bringing up a new generation of football players and football lovers.

RELATED CONTENT: Austin, Texas Rookie Tackle earns praise, teams eye Pop Warner Super Bowl exhibition

The high school coach held a meeting for the parents at the beginning of the season explaining that they use a program from USA Football called “Heads Up,” which prioritizes the safety of their young players over anything else. Given the recent controversy over the sport, that was good to hear. The commitment to safety permeated from the commissioner to each of the individual coaches.

It was a fascinating process to watch. It was undoubtedly the heaviest contact sport he’s ever played—and he was the shortest one on his team—and the most elaborate amount of gear he’s yet to experience. It was not easy for him, especially in the beginning. Rarely did we get through a practice without tears. And most evenings of practices had him complaining with an, “I don’t want to go!!!”

But he stuck with it.

RELATED CONTENT: USA Football Rookie Tackle program earning rave reviews in Frisco, Texas

And I watched a pride grow in him that I haven’t seen in any of the other sports he’s played.

I think this is in no small part due to the coaches he had. Two lead coaches and one assistant. All of them were amazing. We’ve had some pretty good coaches in the past, but nothing close to these men. They were tougher on him than anyone has been before, but also the most loving. They would shout at him to get into the right position, they would physically pick him up and move him around the field … and they would also run immediately over to him when he’d been tackled to see if he was OK, pat him on the helmet, and offer continuous words of support and encouragement.

They were the perfect coaches for him to have during his Rookie Tackle year.

He thrived under their leadership.  

RELATED CONTENT: Rookie Tackle youth football players show their stuff at halftime of NFL regular-season game

I don’t think football is in his future. He spent most of his time during the championship game perfecting his signature move (fake a tackle, purposely miss the player you’re trying to tackle, and then play dead until the actual play is over), cheering on his teammates, and chatting it up with his coaches. But he was so proud. When the game was over, he came running up to me, and as we hugged, he fought back tears. But this time, they were tears of joy. He loved being a part of that team.

Football brought out a side of Dylan that I hadn’t seen before, and that I’m not sure he knew was in himself. It ignited an assertive confidence that is different from the confidence that he’s always had in himself. I have no doubt the experience changed him, for the better, in ways that will carry on for a long time to come.

Tomorrow is the football banquet, honoring all of the players. Each grade level’s championship team will receive trophies. So he will get to put on his jersey one more time and proudly accept a hard-earned reward for a season he fought hard to see through.

Football was not something any of us expected him to try, including himself, I think. It pushed him harder than he’s been pushed by any other sport or activity. But because he kept walking forward, he was able to see a side of himself that had previously been dormant.

It’s a good lesson for all of us, I think. When faced with the voices in our head that say, “I could never do that,” or, “I’m not good at this,” or “This is too hard,” we need to remember that as long as we have the right “coaches” by our side, urging and encouraging us … just about anything is possible.

What “hard thing” can you try today, and who can you have by your side?

Erika Petrelli’s first-grade son, Dylan, played Rookie Tackle football in the WYSI league in Westfield, Indiana this fall. Rookie Tackle, a pilot program designed to bridge the gap between flag football and 11-player tackle football, is part of USA Football’s adoption of the United States Olympic Committee’s American Development Model. It features smaller fields, smaller rosters, no special teams, and opportunities for players to try out playing at several different positions. WYSI is one of 10 programs nationwide that are taking part in Rookie Tackle.