Football is family.
Every player has heard that statement from every coach who ever held a clipboard. Mostly, they’re talking about the players on the field.
But, here in Wisconsin, we like to take that sentiment to a whole new level.
For example, Saturday afternoon we took our two little munchkins and my mom to a college football game that turned into the coolest of family reunions — the kind that both celebrates and extends the connection between various members and their kin.
You might need a clipboard of your own here, but I’ll walk you through our Xs and Os.
Our nephew on the Biskupic side of the family, Guy Van Dis, is a 6-4, 275-pound offensive lineman who plays for the University of LaCrosse. My husband’s goddaughter Kelly on the Kostelnik side of the family is a petite student assistant coach for the team, the first female football coach in the school’s history.
They have places on opposite branches of our family tree, attend a school of 10,000 people and likely would only have known of each other at all because each time we see one we mention the other.
Football brought them together, football taught them each the value of really hard work and football made them friends.
How cool is that? It gets cooler.
The day before the Eagles’ big game with the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh, the team got a chance to tour the Packer Hall of Fame and practice at the Don Hutson Center. Kelly’s mom Kirsten sent me a picture of Kelly and Guy posed by my Dad, Ron Kostelnik’s, Hall of Fame football.
The next day we attended a tailgate at UW Oshkosh that felt like home. Kelly’s dad Rick is my high school friend, her grandpa is our son Vinnie’s godfather. Kelly’s sister, the uber talented Colleen, went all the way through school with our daughter Molly and we are both big fans.
Guy’s parents Steve and Nancy Van Dis and their friends, who are Guy’s teammate/roommate’s parents, also hosted a portion of the tailgate and it was really fun to catch up with them as well.
Also, on an impossibly beautiful Saturday afternoon, the Eagles beat the Titans and are now an impressive 7-1 on the season.
So, the fam is having a great year!
Go Eagles Go!
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