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After writing this piece last year about Don Barclay and his training camp story, I was determined to take my girls out to Green Bay so that they could experience the greatest tradition in sports. When I asked my four year old Charlotte, she was excited. She wanted to be a bike kid.
We arrived in Green Bay on the weekend of Family Night. After taking the girls to Family Night, we started getting ready for training camp practice. Charlotte had been talking for weeks about meeting a player and getting to ride bikes with them. When I showed her some players’ pictures, she decided she wanted to ride with Tim Masthay. So we took to twitter.
Dear @TimMasthay, someone has a message for you! pic.twitter.com/C9Nf1Uv5XK
— TTSO Chris (@TTSO_Chris) July 12, 2015
Tim was nice enough to reply and let us know that he had a regular rider, but that he would be happy to take a picture with us when we were in town. We were disappointed but not deterred. Come Monday morning, Charlotte would try to get a rider.
Charlotte worked on a sign the night before (okay, maybe I helped), and bright and early Monday morning we were ready. Our great friend, Lori, not only opened her home to our family while we were visiting Green Bay, but she also lent Charlotte her son’s old bike to use during our stay. We felt like locals. Lori has been attending training camp for years, and all four of her children have been part of this great tradition. Lori’s help made the experience even more amazing.
We were in place pretty early and Charlotte was excited. Every morning, kids from around Green Bay (and really around the country in some cases) show up early to Lambeau Field. In a tradition that goes back decades, kids show up with their bikes and the players ride the bikes from Lambeau to the practice field a few blocks away. Some players have regular riders that are there every day of camp for them and some choose a different bike kid every day. Charlotte waited among all of those bike kids, hoping for a rider.
While we were waiting for the players to make their way out, something pretty amazing happened. An older girl approached Charlotte. She told us that she was Tim Masthay’s regular rider, and that she saw Charlotte on twitter. “Would you like to ride with Tim today?” Later I found out that her name was Maddy, and she was nice enough to find my little girl and ask her if she would like to take her spot for the morning. I had always heard that the bike kids were great to each other and that they look out for the out-of-towners. Maddy proved that there are still some pretty great moments left in sports.
As the players came out, Maddy’s sister flagged down Tim and matched him up with Charlotte. I would like to say that it was a fairy tale and Charlotte jogged next to Tim the whole way to Ray Nietschke Field, but I would be lying. As soon as the crowd started cheering Charlotte became a little overwhelmed and got a little scared.
By the end of the ride, Charlotte felt a little better and warmed up to the whole process. The crowd was a little quieter and she even managed a smile. Tim was nice enough to take a photo with us and sign Charlotte’s bike helmet. After the experience, I told Charlotte she didn’t have to do it again. She said, “But Dad, I want to!” I was skeptical, but we decided we would try again after practice.
That afternoon, as Charlotte lined up with her bike again, and the players emerged from practice, the familiar chorus of “pick me!” rose from the kids waiting patiently. The two girls next to Charlotte yelled something different. “Pick her! Pick her!” Two girls that had never met Charlotte were trying to help her because they knew she was from out of town. As Josh Walker approached, Charlotte smiled from ear to ear. Thanks to the other bike kids, she had another rider. This time, all the way back to Lambeau, Charlotte was happy and excited to participate.
The next morning, Charlotte was back. She was more excited and less nervous than the previous morning. She acted like she had been doing it for years.
Again, another set of kids looked out for her. As each player came out, they shouted, “Pick her!” Instead of trying to get their own rider, they looked out for the little girl from out of town. This is what the tradition is about. It’s not about selling naming rights to #DreamDrive or about sponsored bikes. It is about these kids getting to experience something truly unique. Nowhere in major sports are the fans quite as close to the players as they are during the training camp bike rides those kids get to take with the players from their favorite team.
Almost all of the players had filed out of Lambeau field when Nick Perry came out and the bike kids got his attention and made sure Charlotte got a rider. This time, she walked next to the bike like a veteran.
I never thought that family memories could be created at an NFL training camp, but this trip was something we will never forget. Charlotte can’t wait to go back to Lambeau, and she made some great friends. She and Lori are pretty much besties, but I also think about all of those kids who helped a stranger when they didn’t have to. We might never actually meet them again, but for those few hours, they certainly made Charlotte feel like a friend.
Hopefully we can return in a few years when Maria is a little older. We still have some memories to make at Lambeau Field.
Continue reading...
We arrived in Green Bay on the weekend of Family Night. After taking the girls to Family Night, we started getting ready for training camp practice. Charlotte had been talking for weeks about meeting a player and getting to ride bikes with them. When I showed her some players’ pictures, she decided she wanted to ride with Tim Masthay. So we took to twitter.
Dear @TimMasthay, someone has a message for you! pic.twitter.com/C9Nf1Uv5XK
— TTSO Chris (@TTSO_Chris) July 12, 2015
Tim was nice enough to reply and let us know that he had a regular rider, but that he would be happy to take a picture with us when we were in town. We were disappointed but not deterred. Come Monday morning, Charlotte would try to get a rider.
Charlotte worked on a sign the night before (okay, maybe I helped), and bright and early Monday morning we were ready. Our great friend, Lori, not only opened her home to our family while we were visiting Green Bay, but she also lent Charlotte her son’s old bike to use during our stay. We felt like locals. Lori has been attending training camp for years, and all four of her children have been part of this great tradition. Lori’s help made the experience even more amazing.
We were in place pretty early and Charlotte was excited. Every morning, kids from around Green Bay (and really around the country in some cases) show up early to Lambeau Field. In a tradition that goes back decades, kids show up with their bikes and the players ride the bikes from Lambeau to the practice field a few blocks away. Some players have regular riders that are there every day of camp for them and some choose a different bike kid every day. Charlotte waited among all of those bike kids, hoping for a rider.
While we were waiting for the players to make their way out, something pretty amazing happened. An older girl approached Charlotte. She told us that she was Tim Masthay’s regular rider, and that she saw Charlotte on twitter. “Would you like to ride with Tim today?” Later I found out that her name was Maddy, and she was nice enough to find my little girl and ask her if she would like to take her spot for the morning. I had always heard that the bike kids were great to each other and that they look out for the out-of-towners. Maddy proved that there are still some pretty great moments left in sports.
As the players came out, Maddy’s sister flagged down Tim and matched him up with Charlotte. I would like to say that it was a fairy tale and Charlotte jogged next to Tim the whole way to Ray Nietschke Field, but I would be lying. As soon as the crowd started cheering Charlotte became a little overwhelmed and got a little scared.
By the end of the ride, Charlotte felt a little better and warmed up to the whole process. The crowd was a little quieter and she even managed a smile. Tim was nice enough to take a photo with us and sign Charlotte’s bike helmet. After the experience, I told Charlotte she didn’t have to do it again. She said, “But Dad, I want to!” I was skeptical, but we decided we would try again after practice.
That afternoon, as Charlotte lined up with her bike again, and the players emerged from practice, the familiar chorus of “pick me!” rose from the kids waiting patiently. The two girls next to Charlotte yelled something different. “Pick her! Pick her!” Two girls that had never met Charlotte were trying to help her because they knew she was from out of town. As Josh Walker approached, Charlotte smiled from ear to ear. Thanks to the other bike kids, she had another rider. This time, all the way back to Lambeau, Charlotte was happy and excited to participate.
The next morning, Charlotte was back. She was more excited and less nervous than the previous morning. She acted like she had been doing it for years.
Again, another set of kids looked out for her. As each player came out, they shouted, “Pick her!” Instead of trying to get their own rider, they looked out for the little girl from out of town. This is what the tradition is about. It’s not about selling naming rights to #DreamDrive or about sponsored bikes. It is about these kids getting to experience something truly unique. Nowhere in major sports are the fans quite as close to the players as they are during the training camp bike rides those kids get to take with the players from their favorite team.
Almost all of the players had filed out of Lambeau field when Nick Perry came out and the bike kids got his attention and made sure Charlotte got a rider. This time, she walked next to the bike like a veteran.
I never thought that family memories could be created at an NFL training camp, but this trip was something we will never forget. Charlotte can’t wait to go back to Lambeau, and she made some great friends. She and Lori are pretty much besties, but I also think about all of those kids who helped a stranger when they didn’t have to. We might never actually meet them again, but for those few hours, they certainly made Charlotte feel like a friend.
Hopefully we can return in a few years when Maria is a little older. We still have some memories to make at Lambeau Field.
Continue reading...
