This past Saturday I had the pleasure of attending the Wisconsin Badgers versus Minnesota Golden Gopher football game also known as "The Battle for the Axe."
Did you know: The first game between these rivals took place in 1890!
Since my freshman year of college in 1996, the Badgers won 22 out of 27 games including a 14 year streak in the early 2000's. More recently the games have been more evenly matched with the Gophers winning the last two.
This year was special because it was my 8 year old son Jack's first game. At 30 degrees with snow, I expected Jack would want to leave early, but he was a trooper and stayed till the end with no complaints.
The game was back and forth in the first half and Jack had questions about yards to a first down, how much time was in a quarter and how many points for a touchdown versus a field goal. While I was no star, I played football up through my sophomore year of high school and have been an avid Packer and Badger fan my entire life. I had to put myself in Jack's shoes to describe the game.
By the 4th quarter he was calling whether or not he thought the teams would run or pass and cheering loudly as the Badgers pulled away to secure The Paul Bunyan Axe, winning 28-14.
Did you know: The Wisconsin Badgers lead the all-time series 63-62-8.
Jack took in all the sights and sounds of the game including the band, cheer squads, and fun video and music breaks between plays. As an alumni of the University of Wisconsin Marching Band, I had an insider's view about these types of activities. While I had perspective on the importance of these game day elements, being with my son Jack created a new appreciation for how this added to the experience, especially for an 8 year old boy attending his first game!
Finally, at the end of the game, we moved up to the front row to watch the team celebrate their win. We happened to be standing right next to the family of freshman tight end, Taylor Ashcroft from Seattle, Washington. He immediately ran over to greet his family. In addition most of the team ran around the stadium and gave high fives to Badger fans cheering them on. Jack got to see what it's like to be a college football player being cheered on by family and fans with a front row perspective.
While I don't know that Jack will be heading down path of becoming a Wisconsin Badger football player, I am confident he saw great examples of people working hard and achieving high levels of performance and the joy that goes along with being cheered on by others for their efforts.
He can be certain that Heather and I will be there cheering him on in whatever path he chooses!
Learn In The Flow Of Life and On Wisconsin!
Jason
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