Tradition, fun and tackling all came together at Washington Community High School in Washington, Illinois, this month when the mothers of players on the football team got to take the field.
Mom’s Night is an annual tradition at the school, according to WEEK-TV.
There is a bit of ceremony as moms put a “W” logo on their sons’ helmets. Moms even get to run a play. But all of that was a preamble to a big part of what football is all about – hitting the opposing player.
This high school team had a “Mom’s Night” practice where they got to gear up and tackle their sons ??
(via @KurtPegler, @WMBDNews) pic.twitter.com/MC1sFRReaz
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 25, 2022
A video on Facebook posted by WMBD-TV’s Kurt Pegler showed the tackling part of the day, in which moms got to put on pads and helmets and tackle their sons.
The tackling was greeted with enthusiasm — if not perhaps by the players being tackled — as moms charged their sons.
One mom bounced off of her son as the audience cheered.
The video produced a varied reaction on Twitter.
All I see are some mothers who have been waiting for a chance to hit their kid legally. https://t.co/XiArcpLAE2
— Rod Brooks (@rodbrooks_qh) August 25, 2022
This is awesome and seems like a terrible idea. https://t.co/rcJj2wVx9P
— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_ATH) August 25, 2022
“Boy, they did not hold back today,” the WEEK announcer said as his station’s video rolled of the moms tackling their kids.
After one mom hit her son so hard that her helmet flew off, the announcer exclaimed, ‘That’s a big hit! The boomstick!’
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The clip ended with the announcer adding, “What a great night, and what a great tradition at Washington High.”
When “CBS Mornings” showed the video, co-host Tony Dokoupil perceived a bit of parental zest in the Aug. 11 event, according to the Journal Star.
PLEASE let me do this! For anyone with a 17-yr old son, you get it. https://t.co/WcrVCSuTu9
— Amy Gutierrez (@amygmultimedia) August 25, 2022
“They’re venting,” he said. “Look at that hit! She, like, put her shoulder into it.”
Ethan Stone had a similar thought on SaturdayDownSouth, writing: “You have to get the feeling that this was a therapeutic experience for a mom of a teenage boy.”
