Crimson Tide Moms: Raisin’ Them Right

Sep 6, 2014; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; A young Alabama Crimson Tide fan watches as her team enters the stadium prior to the game against the Florida Atlantic Owls at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 6, 2014; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; A young Alabama Crimson Tide fan watches as her team enters the stadium prior to the game against the Florida Atlantic Owls at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mothers world-wide worry about raising their children right – but Alabama Crimson Tide moms take some parts of their job more seriously than others.

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Every mom worries about the same things: Will my child fit in? Will he have friends? Will she be sweet to others? Will they learn to be productive, contributing citizens? (If you don’t worry about the last one, you probably should).

However, there is one thing that all Crimson Tide moms also concern themselves with – and that is raising a proper Alabama fan.

Sep 5, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide fan watches the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at AT&T Stadium. Alabama won 35-17. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 5, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide fan watches the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at AT&T Stadium. Alabama won 35-17. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports /

We want our children to understand the our team’s traditions and history. We want them to know WHY our nickname is the Crimson Tide. We teach them the importance of standing during the pregame videos at Bryant-Denny to honor The Bear.

We show them clips of the greatest moments in Alabama football and have them identify the coinciding Daniel A. Moore paintings, like “Run In The Mud”, “Rocky Block”, and “The Catch”. We take our children to Denny Chimes so they can put their handprints in the cemented palms of Bama greats like Joe Namath and Kenny Stabler.

And our babies know from the youngest of ages that no one creates a more beautiful image of the crimson jerseys with the white piping bursting through the tunnel than the soothing voice of Eli Gold.

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We work hard to teach our children these things, and to instill in them a love of all things Crimson Tide.

But do you ever stop to wonder what it is they actually learn?

I interviewed several children, including my own, to find out what it is their mom’s have taught them in regards to sports. Not everything has to do with Alabama, but all of these sweeties are indeed Bama fans. Some of their answers are sweet and incredibly deep for their young ages. Others…well, they’re just plain funny.

“What has your mom taught you about sports, or about Alabama?”

“She told me to hold her hand when we’re at the game so I don’t get lost. I always want to hold her hand, even when I’m big.”  ~ Ben, age 4

“My mom always says that Alabama is the best.” (Me: Why?) “I don’t know. I think she just likes to wear red.” ~ Allie, age 6

Apr 18, 2015; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; A young Alabama fan cheers for her team during the A-day game at Bryant Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 18, 2015; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; A young Alabama fan cheers for her team during the A-day game at Bryant Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports /

“Mommy told me I can’t pee on the fake grass. She said I can pee on the real grass though.” ~ Daniel, age 5 (That’s sound advice, y’all).

“My mom is from Louisiana, but she says Les Miles smells like corndogs and eats grass, so we don’t like him. We like Alabama instead.” ~ Grey, age 8

“Al-ba-la-ma is good. Au-bren is bad.” – Kelsey, age 3

“Mom said we have to be Bama fans because my uncle Martin is a Tennessee fan, and it drives him crazy.” ~ Christian, age 10

“She only lets me say the bad word when we do Ram-jam at the game.” (*whispers*) “I like to say the bad word.” ~Becca, age 6

“My mom said that life is like a football game. I will get knocked down, but I have to keep getting up no matter what.” ~ Tucker, age 11

“Mom talks about an Alabama bear and a savin’. I think she wants money for a teddy bear.” ~ James, age 5

“She says we have to dress pretty for the football games because it’s what good Bama ladies do.  Ladies also don’t burp or make the arm fart noise.” ~ Leila, age 7

Caroline Hornsby
Caroline Hornsby, age 4 /

On a personal note, my own 4 year old daughter, Caroline, has triplegic cerebral palsy, and doesn’t verbally talk. She uses a “talker” device that has preprogrammed words and phrases she can touch to speak for her. One thing this spunky little girl has definitely learned is animal sounds. Every time I ask her, “What does an elephant say?”, she will find the button with the elephant, push it, and grin as her Talker loudly yells, “ROLL TIDE!”

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Happy Mother’s Day to all the Alabama Crimson Tide mom’s out there. Whether you’re a biological mom, and adoptive mom, a bonus mom, a foster mom, a grandmother, an aunt, or a mother figure, you are making a difference in the lives of the children you love. Roll Tide.