Andie attends the Stanford 2nd Singles Ward and apparently they have a long running tradition of a yearly Flag Football Game against the San Francisco Singles Ward. First the girls play and then the guys.
On game day (Saturday), it wasn’t just raining, it was pouring (buckets of nonstop heavy precipitation). I assumed the friendly rivalry between the two wards would be postponed but I was wrong. Inclement weather or not, flag football was on, beginning at 10 am at Palo Alto High School.
The girls had been holding weekly football practice, coaches were recruited, and uniforms were loosely prescribed. Since Andie was on the team (center of photo in one of her trademark headbands), we donned our rain boots and umbrellas to cheer on the Stanford female jocks. And, they were impressive! Furthermore, they won!
Besides winning at Flag Football, the girls (from both teams - to be fair) seem like real winners! Andie’s met some great girls in her Palo Alto surroundings. Guys too, but I didn’t stick around for their football game so I can’t comment on their sports prowess. The girls are an eclectic bunch, well educated and involved in a sundry of graduate programs or careers.
These are bright, capable, clever women who haven’t let intelligence or a corporate ladder diminish their love for living the gospel. Many will undoubtably find great companions and marry themselves right out of the singles ward. Either which way, it’s reassuring to learn of the caliber of these women as Andie talks about them and know that whether they become mothers, US ambassadors, or professional flag football players (ha!), they have good values and high standards. Andie is lucky and blessed to find teammates and friends who share goals and aspirations similar to hers.
It was a wet but fun event. I would have preferred running on the field as a player to passively watching on the sidelines shivering but no one asked me to suit up! Oh, well. The Stanford Ward Bishop even showed up with his family and lots of hot chocolate to warm up the soaking Stanford Saints (their official team name).
