Raspberry Lime Tea Spritzer

Before I start this story, I’m going to thank you all for being my safe space. I know a lot of you are just here for the recipes and really love and appreciate the “Jump to Recipe” option at the top of the page. I appreciate you and GodSpeed as you scroll on down (cause this recipe is a good one). But I also know a lot of you are here for the words, and to you, I say, in regards to this particular post, “bear with me please.” I might get a little heated and ruffle some feathers about something many of us hold near and dear so please don’t walk away angry until you are finished the story. Hopefully, you’ll hear me out and not immediately get all “Oh no she didn’t” on me right away.

But first, let me set the stage.

Connor is playing football this season. We are not technically “football” people, given that neither Jeff nor I passed down the genes to make size and height compatible with this sport. However, the league is aptly called “Flag Football 4 Fun,” and the coach is our friend and neighbor who we trust and respect, so we were game to give it a go. I mean, what could go wrong, right?

Because, honestly for us, sports have always been about just that, fun. With the exception of maybe Kenzie and her gymnastics, where she’s showing talent and drive that maybe (emphasis on the maybe ’cause you never really know) could take her a long way, we’re just not there. Dillon is a tremendously talented athlete, but his attitude has yet to catch up to his ability and it’s kind of a trainwreck to watch. And Connor, well, he just doesn’t seem to care all that much. He doesn’t have that winning competitive edge. It’s not that he doesn’t care about it, it’s just that he doesn’t seem to be emotionally tied into them–or so we thought. So FlagFootball4Fun, for him, seems like a solid 10 out of 10 fit.

And then he showed up at his first game and it all went downhill from there.

There are 11 boys on his team. They are playing in a 12U division (meaning, all boys are 12 and down). For this particular game, 5 boys showed up. FIVE. And it just so happens that all of the boys who showed up were all the younger players on the team (10 & 11) and all are physically the smaller ones too. Five players are required to play the game, with less you forfeit. Because 5 players are on the field at all times. 

So if you’re doing the math with me, this means all 5 of these tiny 11-year-old boys (playing in a 12-year-old division) would be on the field the entire time. No rests.

This is only important, I guess, because the other team, well, they were the opposite. There were 12 of them total and, compared to our boys, they were huge. All falling solidly in the 12-year-old category, towering over Connor’s team. Like Giants. Y’all. 

And, as you could probably predict given these stats, it was a total and complete rout. The Big Kids kicked the Little Kids butts up and down the field. Now, I wasn’t at this particular game but rumor has it they weren’t holding back at all. There wasn’t much deference given to the fact that they were bigger, stronger and had more numbers than the underdogs. They went all in.

At least, according to Connor, they did. Which left him at one point in the game, crying on the sidelines, frustrated and in despair at the unfairness of it all. The kid was struggling with the weight of defeat and hopelessness. 

We’ve all been there, right?

He did go back in eventually. Jeff, I don’t believe, was too happy with him leaving his team high and dry for even a minute and according to him and the very well-meaning (I’m sure) team father who wanted to give me a play by play of my son’s emotional state during the game, it wasn’t pretty. There were tears and excuses and a little bit of righteous indignation. They were getting trounced mightily and it stunk. So Connor, being a kid, was working through tough emotions that even adults sometimes struggle with, on the sidelines. 

But he did it. And he went back in the game. And still, they lost. Big time.

Which is bad in itself, right? Coming home with a defeat in any circumstance stinks. But coming home on the losing end of a landslide, well, that’s even worse. Connor was embarrassed because he cried in front of his friends, upset that he lost and angry at the unfairness of it all. Because, in his words, the other team “didn’t need to destroy us.” He wanted to quit. Of this, he was clear.

It didn’t turn out the way he wanted, though, because the very next day he had to walk back on the field with those same five tiny teammates and play, in a most unfortunate turn of events, the same team. And they lost. Again. Big time. It was basically Groundhog Day on a football field. There weren’t any tears this time and those little Lions (that’s the team name, by the way) hung in there the best they could. They were brave and tried really really hard. There was just no way, y’all. They didn’t even get a first down.

And the other team celebrated yet another victory. The parents cheered each touchdown like it was the Super Bowl (I’m well aware that this is my sour grapes speaking, so I’m sure it wasn’t that bad) and they got the W.

But did they? Is this what youth sports are all about?

I’m just not so sure.

Do you know what kind of courage it takes to walk onto the field knowing without a shadow of a doubt that you are going to get your butt completely and resolutely kicked? Do you know the character it builds to get back into the game after wanting to quit and working through tears and discouragement and football Goliaths? Do you know how deep those boys had to dig, probably without even knowing it, to keep trying, to refuse to give up, to walk BACK onto the field for another game?

Seriously, friends. Do you know?

Yes, the other team got the “w.” They got two, in fact. They should be proud because let me tell you, those boys were some serious athletes and will probably have some pretty fabulous Texas high school football careers. There is no shame in winning. And I don’t begrudge them that, yes, even if my mom heart was all “take it easy on my baby.” There is nothing in the rulebook stating they have to take it easy, not rush, hold back just a bit. They were well within their rights to win that way.

But those little boys, those Lionhearts, they got the bigger “W” in my book. Because make no mistake about it, it sucks to lose. Both on the field and in real life. But it sucks even worse to walk onto a field or into a situation knowing, without a doubt, that you won’t win, or at the very least, it won’t work out in your favor. This sucks, y’all. And everything in human nature tells you to walk away, to not waste your time, to quit. Why try? But these boys had the courage to walk out there the underdog of all underdogs and get their butts kicked. AGAIN. With their heads held high. 

I couldn’t be prouder of those little Lions and the coach who never gave up on them. They went on to lose another game that day, too. This one to another team of much bigger boys who, by Frisco football standards, were the cream of the crop, winning 4 previous “Super Bowls” and playing together since they were six. But these boys, they recognized the situation. They didn’t rush. They held back. Their coaches respected our boys enough to meet them where they were, as they needed to be met, to play down, and play fair. They even let our little Lions get a first down AND score a touchdown. They played with integrity, taking the rule book and applying it with grace. This was football at it’s finest and those boys and the coaches, they got the big W of character, too.

Youth sports is a microcosm of life. And no one can tell me otherwise. The things that happen on the field (and on the sidelines) mimic the things that happen in the boardroom, in families, in social situations, and all across the board. These are miniature dramas and challenges and victories of life and the reason we have our kids play them, lest we forget, is to gain the skills and build the character so that they’ve got what it takes to handle the nonsense and the losses that real life is undoubtedly going to hand them. Wins are great. But character is better. Let us, as parents and coaches, never forget that.

Yes, even in football. (Texas, I’m looking at you).

Raspberry Lime Tea Spritzer

And thank you for coming to my TED Talk. 

OK, now on to the recipe. This is a special one, friends. It all started when my friend, Valerie, decided she wanted raspberry tea but the recipe she used left her missing something. Mostly, well, the raspberry. Any type of recipe disappointment is undoubtedly going to send me off to the race, and this was no exception. I knew I could do better. 

And thus this Spritzer was born. I started with a Raspberry flavored tea. There are a ton out there. The one I happened to use is STASH brand Raspberry Hibiscus. It’s delicious (and I don’t even love tea). Then I layered in Raspberry Simple Syrup, just enough to add multiple layers of raspberry flavor and some sweetness. Simple syrup is just that, SIMPLE. It’s 1 part sugar to 2 parts water, and in this case, 12 ounces of raspberries. This is the simple recipe I used. For the Raspberry Lime Tea Spritzer, you use about half so you’ll have more for cocktails or more tea.  

If you’re a tea purist, you can absolutely leave it at this. Trust me, it’s good as is. Simply combine and add the water to cut it and you’re good to go. If you want something light and refreshing though, I highly recommend adding in the bubbly. I used both Club Soda and Tonic Water to try. I liked the Club Soda better as the tonic departs a slight bitterness, but in a pinch, I wouldn’t complain. And then the quick dash of lime sets it all off and adds some brightness to the overall flavor. It’s a fun and refreshing summer drink, perfect for poolside sipping. 

In fact, Valerie later enjoyed one poolside and this finally fit the bill for her. And that, my friends, is a W too.

Peace, love, and character,

Meg 

Raspberry Lime Tea Spritzer

June 29, 2020

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By: Meaghan Dawson

Ingredients

• 4 cups Raspberry Hibiscus Tea (brewing instructions below)
• 2 cups Water
• 1/2 cup Raspberry Simple Syrup
• Club Soda or Tonic Water
• Lime Juice

Directions

• Step 1 Fill a medium saucepan roughly 3/4 of the way with water. Bring to a boil.
• Step 2 Once boiling, remove from heat and add the tea bags.
• Step 3 Allow tea to steep for 30 minutes to an hour and remove tea bags, pushing to get every last drop of flavor possible.
• Step 4 In a pitcher, combine 4 cups of tea (may have some left over), water and simple syrup. Stir.
• Step 5 Refrigerate for an hour or so.
• Step 6 To Serve: Fill a cup (with ice) roughly 3/4 of the way with tea. Fill the rest of the way with tonic. Stir. Add juice from 1 lime wedge.
• Step 7 Serve. ENJOY.

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