ultimate frisbee club founder (11/23)

Jack started the ultimate frisbee club at school. Initially, he had a lot of trepidation and anger towards us as parents who were pushing him to do so. But after some reflection, he agreed that it could be a great opportunity for leadership and was satisfied that he would have the help of his Sidewinders friends! Right out of the gate, he was met with red tape and resistance. Jack was tasked with writing bylaws, finding a campus mentor as sponsor, requesting field assignments, and begging for a school announcement. The school wasn't making it easy to start or sustain a club. In addition, there were text reminders to members which started solely from a new kids' limited friend base. Right before the inaugural meet, I said a prayer that his efforts would amount to something he could be proud of. 15 minutes before the start of the meetup, Jack sent a panicked text with the words, "oh no, oh no, oh no... the field isn't available that they said would be!" Dad, who was working from home, quickly responded by pulling up the campus map to find a replacement and I somehow recalled the nearby drainage basins which were dry, green fields for most of the year. We saw one across the street from school and both he and I started there to see if it would work, all while Jack was communicating a change in location to 3 coaches and various friends attending. I got in my car quickly, navigating heavy afterschool traffic, to get eyes on the place and offer support. I sat there waiting with 3 ultimate frisbee coaches who were bright and kind and full of energy. They had new frisbees - one for each player and were ready to go. I saw Jack walk over with an overstimulated smile and a small shoulder shrug.  He was discouraged but trying to hide it. We waited together for what seemed like hours. And then, a carload full of teenagers came spilling out of the car. They arrived in what looked like a clown car with a driver illegally transporting them. It was one of those rare moments that breaking the rules was angelic! And I was so thankful for these angels. I fought back tears as I saw coaches throwing out frisbees to each of them as they arrived. They all had smiles of support and Jack breathed easy. As I drove away, I sobbed with gratitude. And the intense efforts made would later be the source for a BYU essay.