An Idea Whose Time Has Come

I attended an arena football game yesterday. I had heard of the D.C. Armor and the American Indoor Football Association. I’d also heard of the owner, gifted entrepreneur Corey Barnette. Having been to dozens of Washington Redskins games, I was curious about the possible comparisons between Indoor Association and NFL football.

By the time the game was over, I was not just won over, I’m now a proud D.C. Armor fan! Between the energy and excitement of the people inside the venue, the skill of the players and the fast pace of the game, I was engaged and interested throughout the entire time I was at the D.C Armory.

In addition to football however, something else emerged during the game. I noticed the happy smiles of young children as they charged down the sideline to catch game balls. I saw young men and women from every walk of life enjoying themselves and toasting the success of the team. I could feel the positive energy generated by the youth and vitality of the young men on the field. A gentleman came over to chat, and mentioned that he was going to buy a block of season tickets for his family for next year. When he told me the price, I was stunned by the affordability. Let me assure you it was thousands of dollars less than the massive endowment required to take even a small family to a series of Redskins games.

The team’s positive impact for individuals, families and our community was obvious. People watching is part of every sporting event, and it was so pleasing to consider whether a human life could be deeply affected by something as simple as a Saturday outing with Mom and Dad? All of the far-reaching possibilities of an afternoon outing just opened right before my eyes, and together they looked like Change.