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Football Parents At Ohio State (FPAOS)

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ScriptOhio

ScriptOhio

Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
BUCKEYE CULTURE CHARACTERIZED, REPRESENTED BY FOOTBALL PARENTS AT OHIO STATE ORGANIZATION

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Annie Apple easily recalls when her family — which includes Ohio State starting cornerback Eli Apple — made the trek from Voorhees, N.J., to Columbus for the first time. A life transition in the form of a big city laid in front of them as a result of Eli's athletic ability and prowess as a football player.

Initially they didn't know many people outside of the Buckeye football coaching staff and friends their son had made through the recruiting process. So Annie sought help in the form of the Football Parents At Ohio State (FPAOS) organization.

"When we came to Ohio State in 2013, the organization Football Parents At Ohio State did exist," Apple told Eleven Warriors Saturday. "But honestly it only existed on paper. It wasn't mobile, it wasn't active. It was just, 'Hey, parents met for happy hour Wednesdays' or whatever."

When Urban Meyer took over at Ohio State prior to the 2012 football season, he intended to establish a culture he preaches about constantly. Meyer wants his team to be nine units strong, his players to love one another so they can go to war on the football field and sacrifice whatever needed to win games on Saturdays.

With the Football Parents At Ohio State, Annie Apple saw the potential to bring the same type of culture to Buckeye football families off the field. It just needed a little work.

"When we joined, we wanted to do a little bit more," she said. "I think when we first got here we wanted to find a way to get all the kids together."

Players come in from all over the United States to play for the Buckeyes. Just look at the team's current roster: Meyer and his staff recruited the best talent everywhere from South Dakota, Florida, Georgia, Texas, New Jersey, Virginia, Ohio and others.

The young men come into the program with one thing on their mind: Compete and earn a starting position to help the team win championships. It's an intention that happens at every university and one that can at times formulate enemies within the team. Individuals work so hard to earn playing time, but don't always receive it. The same could be said about parents who want to see their child play and perform.

"College football is in some ways insolent," Annie Apple said. "(Parents) only care about their kids. Everything looks like competition."

She isn't wrong. FPAOS, with the help of the Ohio State Compliance Department, is out to change that.

Led by Apple, Dawn Elliott, Angel Marshall, Stephanie Webb, Candice Lee, Natalie Collier and others, the FPAOS hosted a social event dubbed "Grind to Shine: Family Unit" at the Martin Luther King Auditorium within Hale Hall on Ohio State's campus Saturday evening. It was meant to get to know the families of the incoming freshmen, and all families were invited to hear William White — a star safety at Ohio State in the late 80s — speak about the importance of a familial culture for their boys.

"The thing that I realized when I got to Ohio State was this is truly a family," White said. "There's no reason everyone in that locker room should not be successful."

Entire article: http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-...y-football-parents-at-ohio-state-organization
 
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Parents of players band together to help each other

Allison Brown received the phone call on Wednesday that every football parent fears.

Her son, Noah, had suffered a serious leg injury in practice. He suffered a broken fibula and tibia in a noncontact injury when he planted his foot awkwardly after reaching for a pass, she said.

Allison was in New Jersey, suddenly filled with worry for her son and feeling alone. She wouldn't be for long.

The Ohio State football program's parents association - some of them dub themselves the “Buckeye mommies” - kicked into gear. President Annie Apple, the mother of cornerback Eli Apple, called to comfort Brown and inform her that she could be reimbursed for a flight and other expenses through Ohio State's student-assistance fund.

That was confirmed by the Buckeyes' compliance department. The NCAA provides money for such emergencies to all Division I schools. The funds come from revenue generated by the men's basketball tournament.

Knowing she wouldn't be on the hook for the costs to travel to Columbus allayed one of Brown's concerns. But money can only do so much.

Coach Urban Meyer speaks often of having making sure his team is nine units strong, referring to each positional group. The parents think of themselves as the team's 10th unit, and it sprang into action.

“We want to keep everybody connected,” Apple said. “That's at the heart of the organization. We're nine strong on the field. The 10th is on the sideline.”
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For the Brown family, that has proven essential this week.

“This 'family unit' has shown up in full force this week, and my family is very grateful,” Allison Brown said.

Meyer said his esteem for the parents association grew after last year's playoff effort. But he said he was “blown away” by its response to Noah Brown's injury.

“It's an extremely close group,” Meyer said. “I didn't really realize how close until I saw what happened with Noah's family.”

Entire article: http://buckeyextra.dispatch.com/content/stories/2015/08/29/ohio-state-football-parents.html

Just sayin': If above link goes to the article and then kicks to a subscription page (as mine did), refresh page and click on the "X" (stop reloading) as soon as the article appears to freeze the article so that you can read it. It is really worth reading the entire article.
 
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Bottom of that article someone mentioned that they now know why more players don't transfer when they aren't going to play. The family atmosphere is much more than the 2 deep can ever illustrate. The relationships that the families build with each other are lifelong and those fellas that put on that beautiful uniform every Saturday, have a hell of a support group to succeed in life. Proud as ever to be a Buckeye!
 
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Fantastic, just fantastic. Injury is a shared concern among all players' families. Recruiting from greater distances places a greater priority on the question "But he would be so far away, what happens if he gets injured?" Words fail me...what a fantastic resource to trumpet.
 
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Some great stories here.....

Ohio State football parents share season’s best moments

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Dawn Elliott, mother of sophomore running back Ezekiel Elliott
Hometown: St. Louis

“One thing that stands out is, he always looks for me in the stands before the games and blows me a kiss. But at New Orleans (the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1), I wasn’t sitting as close to the field as usual, and I could see him turn around and mouth, ‘Where’s my mama?’ He finally found me. I thought it was cute.

“Another memory is when we had won the Big Ten championship (over Wisconsin) and some of us were waiting for our sons after the game. We were all in the hallway (at Lucas Oil Stadium), and security was really trying to get us to leave. They weren’t being very nice.

“One of the security people said they were from Michigan, and my husband started singing We Don’t Give a Damn About the Whole State of Michigan, and we all started to dance to it.”

See the comments from others: http://buckeyextra.dispatch.com/content/stories/2015/01/10/when-sons-shine.html
 
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OHIO STATE PARENTS READY TO ROLL, AND IN FACT ARE DOING SO RIGHT NOW

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Annie Apple @SurvivinAmerica
Three buses loaded with Buckeye Football families... Ready to go watch our sons handle business. #GoBucks #FamilyUnit pic.twitter.com/J19agftmJv

4:09 PM - 7 Sep 2015



The parents of Ohio State players are a tight, tight group, and for this game they decided to charter some buses and make the most of a Blacksburg road trip. If we know anything about the people on those buses, and we like to think that we do at least a little bit, that was probably one awesome holiday road trip.

Entire article: http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-...dy-to-roll-and-in-fact-are-doing-so-right-now
 
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#THROWBACKTHURSDAY: YOUNG BUCKEYE BALLERS EDITION

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Ohio State's football team is one of the most physically imposing teams in the country, but the thing about humans is they don't start that way.

A generation ago, baby/toddler pictures were relegated to a dust-covered photo album somewhere within the confines of the parent(s)' home. Those days are long gone, however, and on Thursday the official Twitter account of OSU's Family unit — @fpaos_board — tweeted out some wonderful pictures of their sons before they were even thinking of earning an Ohio State offer.



See some more: http://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio-...rowbackthursday-young-buckeye-ballers-edition
 
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Complete Updates From the November 19 Urban Meyer Call-In Show

+ Josh Perry’s family helps the Buckeyes recruit. They are there to answer questions from recruits’ families. Meyer passes their number out to speak with other families. The Vannetts as well.

+ Meyer said he hopes that Joshua Perry’s parents keep coming to the games even after Perry is gone because they are part of this program now.

Entire article: http://theozone.net/Ohio-State/Foot...From-the-November-19-Urban-Meyer-Call-In-Show
 
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Broncos-Steelers reunited Buckeye Moms
The Broncos and Steelers played an exciting four quarters of football Sunday afternoon, when Pittsburgh almost gave up a late-game comeback with an interception at the two-minute mark. It was the Steelers defense -- loaded with Buckeyes -- that were able to force a punt and walk away with the win.

It wasn't just a reunion for the players -- Bradley Roby, Ryan Shazier, Cam Heyward, Will Allen, Mike Adams -- it was a chance for some former Buckeye moms to reconnect.

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Charlotte Heyward @CharHeyward

Game day with a fiend for life...@BradRoby_1 mom, Betty. From the Ridge to OSU to the NFL. #ProudMoms #DENvsPIT

12:48 PM - 20 Dec 2015

Entire article: http://www.landgrantholyland.com/20...pryor-first-career-start-wide-receiver-browns

You know what they say....once a Buckeye Mom always a Buckeye Mom!!!

:oh:....:io:
 
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