The Stadium

In traveling through 43 countries across six continents, we’ve seen quite a few ancient stadiums. From Rome’s definitive Coliseum to lesser known examples scattered around the world, we’ve explored many.

All share a sense of grandeur that matches the contests staged there, and as you wander about the stones, if you are open to it, you can hear the echoes of long-ago cheers and smell the musk of human striving.

I had those thoughts as I approached a coliseum last night. It too, rose above the surrounding terrain like a temple of glory.

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It too had towers piercing the sky.

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It too had cavernous chambers.

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But unlike the ancient stadiums I’ve explored, this one required being wanded by a metal detector for entry.

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Included a multi-tiered press box.

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And a video scoreboard featuring instant replay.

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So as the sun slipped below the horizon.

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And the teams erected their respective end zone cameras to record the action.

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I was treated to an American football game in a very impressive, modern stadium. The stadium was larger than many university stadiums we’ve seen in North America and around the world. It was larger, in fact, than some professional football stadiums we’ve seen overseas.

What university or professional team were we there to watch?

None.

I came to attend a Texas high school football game at a high school stadium.

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Not all Texas high school football games are played in stadiums this large or by teams so well staffed (14 coaches are listed on one team’s staff) and supported (thousands of fans drove over two hours to cheer for the visiting team).

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This game was a quarterfinal game in the Texas 5A state championship. 5A is the largest class in the state, for high schools (typically grades 9 – 12) with thousands of students.

There is another group of Texas teenagers who play American football for much smaller schools, some with only a few dozen to a few hundred pupils. Those schools are so small they cannot field a full 11 man American football team, so they play a version of the game that only uses six players on each side.

Those games are played at fields that lack video scoreboards and multi-level press boxes. Those games are played by kids that don’t wear cowboy boots as an affectation; they wear them as a matter of course.

 
Photo by Jay Janner/AMERICAN-STATESMAN

There is a wonderful story about the Texas kids who play six man American football, their coaches, and their towns here: http://www.statesman.com/sports/content/sports/stories/highschool/2009/11/15/1115sixman.html

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Unless otherwise credited, all photos by Douglas Hackney