FELICIA FOOTBALL By Jordana A. Taylor Felicia is a football, but not just any football. No, Felicia is an authentic, NFL authorized official football. She is shiny, fully inflated, and has the fresh out of the box scent. Her skin is made of the finest brown leather and has strong, white laces down the center. She is in tip-top, athletic shape --- standing 11 inches tall and weighing 14 ounces. Each night, Felicia dreams about being out on the football field, the gridiron. She wants to wiggle her nose in the spiky, green grass and let the crisp wind blow over her pebbled cheeks. 39
But isn t that what Felicia does everyday, you ask? Don t all footballs get to...... stick their noses into fresh cut grass...... take the snap from the center...... feel the quarterback grip their laces briefly before doing a perfect spiral through the breeze...... and land solidly in the outstretched arms of the wide receiver? Unfortunately, no. While Felicia may have that fresh out of the box scent, she doesn t have that fresh out of the box feel. Felicia lives in the sporting goods store. She hasn t been purchased yet. Felicia sits on the shelf in her blue and gold cardboard box each day watching her friends be plucked off the shelves by eager young athletes and taken home. 40 WWW.REDSKINS.COM/COMMUNITY
Today, Felicia is all alone. Bobby Basketball was purchased on Monday for the local high school s state championship game. Tara Tennis Ball left on Tuesday to fly to London for Wimbledon. Wednesday was Sam Soccer Ball s turn. A father bought him as a birthday present for his 8-year-old daughter. Viola Volleyball left on Thursday for a beach volleyball match in Florida followed by Gus Golf Ball on Friday. Gus was green with excitement as he traveled to Atlanta for the Master s Tournament. On Saturday morning, Kenny Kick Ball was purchased for the annual tournament on the National Mall leaving Felicia Football alone on the shelf Saturday afternoon. 41
Whee-ee-oo, Felicia whistled. Dum, de, dum, badum, she sang, here I am lonely and left on aisle 11 in the sporting goods store in Landover, Maryland. La de da de do. Now what? Felicia wondered silently. Bobby, Tara, Sam, Viola, Gus, and Kenny are all gone. They are living their dreams out on the field or court, soaked in the sweat of their athletes - celebrating their team s victories and suffering through their team s defeats. I want to hear the stadium announcer introduce my team and have thousands of fans dressed in my team s colors sing my team s fight song, Felicia exclaimed. If only someone would buy me and give me a chance... 42 WWW.REDSKINS.COM/COMMUNITY
Meanwhile, at Redskins Park in Ashburn, Virginia, the Washington Redskins football team had just finished with practice on Saturday afternoon. The locker room was electric with excitement as the players high-fived, joked, and laughed with each other as they prepared for their big game tomorrow at FedExField versus their division rivals, the Dallas Cowboys. Listen up, men, Coach Zorn shouted. Tomorrow is the big game. You all have practiced hard this week and have studied hard in your meetings. Be proud of your success so far this season and wear the burgundy and gold with pride tomorrow! Go home, eat a good meal, and get some rest. Our equipment manager will pack up all the equipment and we will see you at the stadium tomorrow at 11 am. As the players left the training facility for the evening, the equipment staff began packing the team s uniforms and the equipment for tomorrow s game. Helmets? Check. Shoulder pads? Check. White jerseys? Check. Burgundy pants? Check. Thigh pads? Check. Hip pads? Check. Knee pads? Check. Gloves? Check. Socks? Check. Cleats? Check. Footballs? Check. 43
Well, the equipment staff loaded almost everything. As the truck pulled out of Redskins Park, one bag was accidentally left behind on the floor inside the locker room --- the bag of footballs! It is early Sunday morning at the sporting goods store, and Felicia is doing her 60 minutes of physical activity. She warms up every morning to stay in shape because she figures one should always be prepared. Today might be the day I get purchased, says Felicia. And I want to make sure I am in shape and ready...just in case. And, little did Felcia know, as she did her morning stretches, the equipment manager for the Washington Redskins --- realizing that the footballs had been left behind --- was in the sporting goods store heading to aisle 11 to purchase the football that would be today s game football for the Redskins versus Cowboys game. Now, it is your turn! How does the story of Felicia Football end? What happens after the equipment manager buys Felicia Football? What are the sights, sounds, and smells that Felicia experiences at FedExField? What happens during the Redskins versus Cowboys game? Write your own ending to the story of Felicia Football! See the inside of the front cover and page 47 for complete rules. 44 WWW.REDSKINS.COM/COMMUNITY