Faith \u2013 family \u2013 football<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n That is our family motto which aptly describes the order of our family\u2019s priorities.\u00a0 It is the third one that landed us in West St. Paul, Minnesota over the weekend to cheer on two great flag football teams. Last year, a beloved \u201cuncle and aunt\u201d heard that the flag football program was expanding and was in need of an extra\u00a0coach.\u00a0 Uncle Sheldon recommended our boy wonder, and from the first practice, he was hooked.<\/p>\n We weren\u2019t able to attend last year due to exhaustion because the games were hosted the day following the final Reed\u2019s Run.\u00a0 I remember the pride in my son\u2019s face when he returned late that evening telling us of how they pulled together and earned second place.\u00a0 That sense of accomplishment and joy carried over into an essay he wrote detailing an example of leadership of which he was most proud.\u00a0 A lump caught in my throat reading his descriptive words.<\/p>\n As time will do, it marched on. With a blink of an eye, it was time again for the flag football practices to begin. \u00a0Vaguely in the recesses of my memory, I recalled a message from our regional director that it would be great if we had cheerleaders this year.<\/p>\n Adding a new spring in my step, I helped organize our cheer team whose ages ranged from three to eight.\u00a0 We learned cheers and routines, and decided that no matter what the end product looked like, we would have fun. Once a cheerleader, always a cheerleader!<\/em>\u00a0 My\u00a0rah-rah! spirit came back to the surface as I sewed glitter tutus, ordered t-shirts, sewed\/constructed a banner for the team to run through, found a mascot costume and ordered pompoms.\u00a0 With those adorable cuties to cheer them on,\u00a0 any team would be successful!<\/p>\n A few members of the Puma Cheer Team!<\/p><\/div>\n From the moment we arrived until the final awards ceremony, I was awed by the spirit of these games. Our entourage of athletes, unified partners, coaches, tiny cheerleaders and family members was a merry band of sportsmanship and friendship.\u00a0 I can only imagine\u00a0this was exactly what Eunice Shriver envisioned when she helped to create the Special Olympics.<\/p>\n From touchdown runs and \u201cflag tackles\u201d by childhood friends to amazing interceptions by new ones, the Pumas did our community proud.\u00a0 To hear adults tell my son that he was one of the classiest coaches in this league brought tears to my eyes.\u00a0 (The unsolicited comment was given because he refused to run up the score on a team they competed against.)<\/p>\n It was a spirit of camaraderie and revelry as the Pumas marched the \u201clane of champions\u201d to receive their gold medals.\u00a0 They were humble and even had to be coaxed to give a \u201cNumber 1\u201d signal for pictures.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"http:\/\/kandynolesstevens.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/10\/so3.jpg\")
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