‘If I succeed in business and make lots of money, but fail at being a good father and a devoted husband, then it has all been for nothing.’

The competition today was a great success. We had a slight delay here at the Friendly Confines as the rain came and did its thing for five minutes, but once that passed we were underway. The soccer field looked immaculate, and even more so after being watered immediately before kick-off. The court sports had to wait a bit for the courts to dry, and the tennis did suffer as a result, but it would not be Timberlane without the rain. It always rains when we play Camp Timberlane! But none of that mattered as we triumphed 9-6, including one victorious game of ultimate frisbee. That is not something we normally excel in, but this is another year, with a sprinkling of new guys, so who knows how the competition will play out.

What I do know from refereeing and watching the games today was that our boys – your boys – played the game the right way (The Menominee Way) in the right spirit, and with the right attitude. There was no showboating and arguing, no hissy fits and getting down on team mates. It was concentrated effort and it paid off. The professionals might have learnt something from watching this. Maybe the money they earn has corrupted them to such an extent that they now care less about the game and their (fragile) reputations, and (a lot) more about the size of their bank balance(s). That is such a shame because 100 years from now it will not matter, to those who come after us, what kind of car they drove, how big their house was or how many millions they had in the bank. What WILL matter was that they were important and influential in the life of a child. Making a difference, for all the right reasons, is what we are trying to do here this summer. And the boys couldn’t care less what we are being paid for it.

We took it easy this evening and ended the day with a real campfire, the first for over a week. We heard stories from the competition today; the great plays, the three pointers, the stunning goals, and we applauded our collective effort. Then we started the jokes. This has become something of a staple every summer as we invite the boys up, to stand around the fire, and tell us their best jokes. It always amazes me just how funny – and confident – the younger boys are.

And now it’s the weekend and all is well, so safely rest.

Goodnight everybody.

As ever…WOODY!