What it was -- was football

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With respect to Andy Griffith’s monologue – I was party to the advent of football on a campus in China.  It happened this way --Matt and I were on campus during the first week of school when students are encouraged to join, participate with or become involved with extra circular activities.  

Along the internal campus road that was next to one of the large cafeterias on campus and near playing fields, ball courts, and so on students had set up booths to introduce their “club” society, interest group or whatever.  In front of the roller-blade club, the club members had set up an obstacle course and were putting on a show of moving through it kinda like ice skaters – and these guys were really good too.

 In addition to roller blades, there was mountain biking, photography, drama, several ethnic clubs, various music type clubs, (did not see young Republicans or Democrats), and many which could not be identified by someone like me who is reading Chinese characters challenged (again, my teacher’s fault).  This booth in particular, despite the best efforts at signage did not seem to be to catching on. 

  

I sorta got the idea that Matt’s idea of introducing football, --good ole USA – Demon Deacon type of football – to the group of these students would be a challenge,  This was reinforced when as Matt was walking towards us, one of the boys asked me “what is that ball he has?”

Matt has done this before,  he lines the guys up in facing lines, puts them through  a rudimentary passing the ball drill while teaching how to hold the ball type instructions.  Anyway we pass the ball back and forth across the two lines of kids (by the second time down the line, there was noticeable and significant improvement – of course given the starting point, that may not be all that much praise).

Anyway, then divide into teams of four, no rushing the passer, four downs to score and losing team leaves the field to return for another chance.  We were playing on the soft surface in the endzone of their soccer field that is part of the track.  It really is a nice track facility.

 And this guy with the ball, will not be playing on Sundays as the saying goes.  The play was an energetic all out effort., though it will be a while before any of these guys are seeing a lot of playing time –Matt has the only ball.

 This guy who also joined us for football, was playing his guitar and singing with some friends when I stopped to talk with him.  His English was quite good and we had a very enjoyable visit and I got to hear some Chinese music that sounded a bit like American Folk music of the 60s. – I liked it.  He knew what folk music was after one of the guys looked it up on the dictionary in his telephone.  They have nice phones too.

and the campus looked exactly like a college campus -- a nice college campus with lots of money to develop the facilitiy and such.