As has now become routine, a strict meet time was met by all & we were soon on the way north to the high school which was acting as a car park for the park & ride scheme that the Bills had set up. All of the touring party were excited by the prospect of being able to experience all the razz-a-mataz of the NFL. Whether this was to see the sheer size of some of the athletes on offer (this anticipation only being increased with the news story that broke the morning before of the 92 man brawl that kicked off due to a late tackle!!) or the hopeful dream that the Buffalo Jills would be in attendance & we all could get a picture with a cheerleader.
After a rather smooth journey (in hindsight it was too smooth, so something was going to go wrong), we parked up in a rather empty looking parking lot. Having arrived earlier than planned, we thought nothing of it so we all got our lunches out to eat before we headed off, whilst a few practised their QB arms with a throw & a catch. The boys are becoming very clever with their attempts at gaining a scholarship. Now even diversifying their choice of sport. Just as the cookie course of our extensive lunches was being consumed, a local pensioner wandered over to have a chat. As as now become standard, we expected she just wanted to find out where our funny accents were from. Instead she simply stated "the camp has been cancelled. You might as well go home." In some what of a state of shock, no one knew what to say or suggest. Being British we simply thanked the lady & sat in silence for a few moments. Luckily, Kane Nelhams (our resident coffee geek) suggested that we try to find a nearby shopping mall to fill the void left by 92 massively oversized men.
Searching through our satnav, we found East View Mall about 10 miles away. Heading off still in a state of shock & disappointment, we were hopeful that the mall could save the day. Otherwise it would be home by 2. As we pulled in to the mall parking lot, our hopes & spirits were lifted as we saw signs for Macy's, A&F, Hollister & American Eagle. The boys piled out of the cars & headed straight for the entrance. The next time we saw them, they would have ploughed more money in to the American economy & they would all be ladened down with bags.
Messages were sent round on social media between the group about deals & offers & savings as everyone buzzed about the mall picking up goods. The mall was so big & the shopping opportunities were so vast, that the coaches extended the meet time to allow everyone enough time to fill up the trunks. . .
The evening's entertainment was organised by the families. We all met up at a local camp ground. The boys were not too sure on what was in line for them as we drove the dirt tracks flagged by forests with only balloons on road signs as directions. However their mood was lifted when we pulled up & saw an awning set out for a huge picnic, with a basketball court, a football (soccer) field, a volleyball court & as many different types of sports balls & frisbees that they could want. Despite playing 3 games in 3 days, with most suffering from aches & pains, they soon organised themselves in to teams.
Whilst we waited for all the families to arrive, an impromptu strength challenge was laid down by Mr Chamberlain when we offered an open arm wrestling challenge to the boys. Obviously there were many willing volunteers to try to dent his ego. Despite his extensive gym workout sessions for the past year, his attempt to be crowned HGS' Strongest Man was short lived as he was (comprehensively) beaten by Harry Nunn.
A lightweight, heavyweight & super heavyweight competition was then set up with some varying & surprising results. Rob Price out muscled Sammy Davison, whilst Aaron James was victorious over Sam "Brock Lesner" Ansell. With some newly found confidence from his early round win, our resident art loving, duck boat captain Jake Hobbs decided he would challenge the Coach's family housing Dad Skip (who is also the President of the local university & a local town hero). Hopefully you can see from the video below that Skip's arms are the size of Jake's body & to say it was a bold challenge is an understatement. Needless to say, despite his best efforts Jake was destroyed!!
By the time Nunn had proved is strength through not only beating all willing competitors with an arm wrestle but also with a pull up challenge, the families had all arrived with the food. As has been the case throughout the week, there was so so much to choose from & all of it was very good. Speaking on behalf of everyone, we have been truly spoilt this week & will head home a few pounds heavier (hopefully all the clothes bought this week will still fit. . .).
Once all the food had been eaten & everything was tidied away, President Skip asked if we wanted to take our boys to the ASU aquatics centre for a quick swim. Being the president of the university, as well as a NY State Police badge he has access to all the university facilities that he wants, whenever he wants. After a unanimous yes vote from the squad, we made our way to the pool to be met by the aquatics centre staff who unlocked the centre & gave us access to the "toys store".
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