Friday, September 13, 2013

Batiava, by way of Geneva, and it started in West Chicago.

Last nights Thursday night lights brought me to Geneva, My kid plays for Batavia. To say this is a big rivalry is a massive understatement.

I have covered a ton of ground in Chicago and its suburbs, As a matter of fact as Chicago radio peeps go I would like to find anyone who has as much Chicago land cred as me.

So last night I'm in Geneva and I'm looking across the field, there they are the dreaded enemy the Geneva Vikings. Not only did they spank the Bulldogs, But there was a familiar old face. I could spot this guy anywhere.

It was Jeff Ansiworth former West Chicago Football coach. All of the sudden I was a kid again. After the game I went over to see the "Coach" He said "where's your kid I want to tell him story's" Luckily Conner was already on the team bus.

I thought how cool is this? He must be like 75 and he's still got a passion for these kids and football, and his hometown!  He then went on to tell me about how he played for Geneva, watched his kid play there and subsequently now coaches at the school he loves. He said tell your boy he played strong and teach him about what this means to these towns.

This year my sons football will also take me back to my hometown of West Chicago. So far at every game I have run into old friends, Listeners, Coaches who listen. It makes the game all that more fun.

It made me remember that I'm not from Chicago, I'm not From Batavia. I'm from West Chicago. And no matter where I go in this city that's where it started. My job has taken me all over the world, But no matter where I go, I still know that tonight just off Joliet street in We-Go the Cats will be playing Metea valley. And as always I will want them to win.

I hate that my kids team lost, But knowing that an old Coach, was at the Helm made worse! (Kidding)

Also a shout out to Geneva's Jordan Soto, He and my kid met more than a dozen times yesterday, He's a good kid and a great Running back. He and My kid are friends and are on the same Club Wrestling team. So it makes it fun to see kids you admire do well.

Here's to the kids and the folks that teach them, you may not know it but you mean the world to your town, If we could get the whole world involved it would be a better place.

Stay healthy this weekend!

RR







 

4 comments:

  1. Another good read. Thanx RR. p.s. F-350 rules!

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  2. Too true, RR. This Batavia Alumni agrees completely. p.s. RAM trucks all the way...

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  3. I love you guys and the truck comments!

    RR

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  4. Mr. Ainsworth loves himself some football at any level. He's a huge NIU Huskies fan, I believe he even played ball there. I had Mr. Ainsworth as a driver's ed teacher back in '06 right before he retired from teaching at West Chicago.

    Crazy story, I attended NIU and had taken a student bus down to Mobile, Alabama in January of 2012 for the GoDaddy.com Bowl. I get off the bus at the hotel in Mobile, and guess who I see? Yep, Good ol' Mr. Ainsworth! 1st time I saw him in over 6 years, and of all places to run into him.

    Fast forward one year. I drive down to Miami, Florida for New Years 2013 to watch NIU play in the Orange Bowl, and once again I bump into a familiar face. You guessed it, Mr. Ainsworth!

    It's so crazy, how much emphasis that man puts on supporting his teams and communities. Great guy!

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