Look how they massacred my boy

Yes, this week was the beginning of The Boy's first football camp. Day camp all this week - 7am to at least 6:30pm. Scrimmage Saturday Morning, then he leaves Sunday morning for 6 days at an away football camp. This being The Boy's first year, neither of us were sure of what to expect. Monday's practice went until 7:30pm. Yep. 12 1/2 hours of practice.

The Girl and I watched the last hour from the side lines of the practice field. [one question: what the hell are they putting in the water these days?!?! At 15 yrs-3 months old, The Boy stands at 6'-1" and, after a summer of 4 day-a-week 'conditioning', a muscular 195lbs. Yet, he looked like a toddler compared to some of the other players.] I was in awe of him. I've known pride before, but not like this. After 12 hours of practice on a sunny humid 86 degree day, The Boy not only continued to run sprints, but was at the head of the pack.

The Girl and I waited for him by the car while he walked from the practice fields to the locker rooms to grab his extra gear and duffle bag. When I saw him approach, I got out of the car so he could see where I was parked…and my jaw dropped. The filth covering both his arms from his shoulders to his wrists that I had seen from the sidelines, wasn't filth. It was blood and bruise and skin rubbed raw.

He didn't say much, just sank back in his exhaustion, only asked if I'd please stop for a milkshake.
I bought him two.
When we got home, I put The Girl in bed and attended to The Boy. He showered and stretched out on his bed while I brought him some Tylenol, ice packs and all the IcyHot I could find. He told me about his practice as I rubbed down his knees and put antibiotic cream on his wounds. We ended up talking for two hours.

This child of mine. This man-child. Struggling to be want he wants to be and become who he was meant to be. He's occasionally unsure of himself, sometimes exhausted by the effort required, and sometimes...just sometimes...made to bleed. And this boy, The Boy, my boy…wakes up the next day and does it all again.