Over the past week or so I have had time to reflect on the first game of the season and listen to comments of parents, so-called fans, bystanders and complete haters of the Ironton Fighting Tigers football program.

The biggest comment is, “Ironton is just not the powerhouse they used to be.”

Well, that takes a lot of brain power to come up with.

Back in the day, families consisted of five and six kids. Now families consist of one or two kids. So you are left with 50 kids on a football team instead of 100.

Powerhouse? Let’s see. I can remember when kids wouldn’t sit on their butts all day and play video games, let alone go lift weights in the offseason to prepare to play for the most coveted school in the Tri-State.

I grew up around Ironton Football and respected it even though I graduated from another local school. When my kids were young they would come to the Ironton games to watch their uncle play, and all they ever said was, “When I get old enough, I want to play for Ironton.”

They knew what an honor it was to run out of that tunnel to play for hundreds of fans rooting them on. So we moved here.

They respect the program, but I feel that some kids feel “entitled” and want the glory of playing for Ironton, but do not want to put in the work that it takes to continue to make a program successful. These players have to realize they are what makes Ironton football.

It is a huge job for such young kids, but it is what it is.

This season I ask that the fans respect these kids by not leaving early if it starts getting tough. Really, what is that teaching them?

I ask the parents to teach your kids to fight for something they believe in and to never feel entitled to anything.

Tradition is something respected and carried on by people who respect it.

Nina Webb

Ironton