Try to imagine this....

[David]

My grandson, aged 15, has made the kicker position for his varsity high school American football team, Upland High, Upland Ca.
They recently held a car wash to raise funds for the high school football team. Would you believe they raised $18,000 over one weekend....for washing cars !!

[noel]

Well done to him and them. Keep us in touch with his progress David.
Varsity is a team representing a college for others who like me didn't know.

[David]

""Varsity is a team representing a college for others who like me didn't know.""... Not quite Noel....Varsity is the 'first team' at the high school level. At Upland High School... http://www.uplandhigh.org/
a first year student is a Freshman, second year a Sophomore, third year a Junior, and fourth year a Senior. In high school sports, there are three divisions, freshman, junior varsity, and varsity. A first year student (freshman), is only allowed to play freshman sports. The next step is on to the junior varsity then on to the varsity. Very few players, in any sport, go straight from freshman to varsity. But the object of my post was not Kyle's progress, but the amount of money taken for a weekend carwash !! I was trying to give our readers an idea of how well these sporting programs are supported.
The freshmen and JV football teams always play on a Thursday afternoon, with a crowd of 2 to 3 hundred.
The varsity football team (not soccer), always play their games on a Friday night, under the lights with a crowd of some 2 to 3 thousand spectators. It's a big show, the cheerleaders are out in force, and the school marching band gives a pre-game performance, and a half time performance as well as having them play during stops in the game...American football has plenty of them eh ??
The American high school sporting programs are a world apart from the British schools.

[magicman]

David - if he wants a holiday in Greenwich, my Boys' Brigade Company could do to raise some funds like that!! I think we have just discovered some subsidence in the area of the ladies' loo - personally, I will make no comment!!
He does desrve many congrats, though, for what he was part of.

Dave

[David]

quote:

---

Originally posted by noel

Well done to him and them. Keep us in touch with his progress David.
Varsity is a team representing a college for others who like me didn't know.

---

As a follow up to this, and Kyle's progress....
He had a great season finishing tied for 3rd in over all points scored in the league he was playing in, and tied for 5th for 'kicking points' in California. He was named to the 'All Star' football team for the Inland Valley and was the only sophomore on
the team.
He was recommended to attend a special 'kicking clinic' at UNLV, (University of Nevada, Las Vegas). A two day event where several ex-pro kickers watch, and give them instruction's. There were kickers there from all over the country and on the last day they had a 'Last Man Standing' kick-off. All the 'field goal' kickers had to kick starting from the 30 yard line and moving back 5 yards for each kick between the posts. When you missed your field goal you were out.
Incredibly Kyle won the competion with a kick from 55 yards.
He is now ranked 9th in the nation which is brilliant him only being a junior next season !!
http://www.chrissailerkicking.com/index....LNK=8&pp=1

If you click on his name, you'll see his photo []

Signed....Proud Grandad []

[LDunlop76]

You've every right to be a proud grandad, David! Well done to the lad!

[shuffy]

congratulations to Kyle, you must all be very proud of him and rightly so.

[David]

Update; The Athletic Director at Upland High School, where Kyle, now 16 years old is attending, has been contacted by the University of Arizona, Tucson, http://www.arizona.edu/ with regard to Kyle's kicking ability. They have indicated that they want Kyle to attend the next Chris Sailer Kicking Clinic at UNLV, (University of Las Vegas), because they intend to send scouts there to watch him. They have indicated that the university will pay all the costs, including board, etc.
Needless to say, Kyle and his parents are very excited about the news. This is the third big university to have made contact with Upland High about Kyle. Colorado State, and Oregon being the other two.
We're keeping our fingers crossed in hopes that he gets a 'free' university education from his kicking prowess, but he still has two years of high school to fulfill.

This is the University of Arizona football stadium...

[LDunlop76]

Best of luck to the lad in all his future endeavours!

[shuffy]

Hear hear.