Lessons for and from Christian Liberty football

As expected, Christian Liberty's first full season of varsity football has been and will continue to be a tough go - or as head coach Jim Kaulkins said - one where everyone is constantly hitting the reset button in a game most of its players are still learning at the organized level. Saw the Chargers play for the first time last Friday and it was pretty evident you can almost see the gears going in everyone's heads on the field as they try to do what comes naturally to so many high school kids who have played for years. Most of the kids are also trying to get used to the physical nature of the game as well. That makes it difficult - especially when their first two games were against a perennial small-school playoff team in Alden-Hebron and a talented playoff team from a year ago in Hope Academy (an aside, did you know there are two Hope's in Chicago?)
But one important lesson it's clear Christian Liberty has already picked up is competing. Coaches always preach not playing to the scoreboard or clock and the Chargers' effort never wavered last week even as the outcome was clearly evident. Even one of the officials commented on it and said it's not something he sees every week from other teams in similar predicaments. And watching them gives you a sense of admiration for these kids and coaches who are undersized and inexperienced but hope they are building the foundation of bigger and better things down the road.