The Friday night lights of Tiger Stadiums will shine on mothers first this Friday as Greenville High School hosts its inaugural Mom’s Night event.

The Tigers football program will celebrate the mothers of its players by treating them to a meal and a meet-and-greet with the team at Greenville Middle School’s cafeteria at 5:30. 

The moms will also be taken to the sidelines at Tiger Stadium for a formal photo op with the players prior to the start of an intrasquad scrimmage at 7 p.m.

Josh McLendon, Greenville head football coach, said that the event is a means to show appreciation for parents—specifically mothers—and their many contributions to the players’ lives.

“We see these kids for a couple of hours a day at practice, but the moms are often there when they come home,” McLendon said. “We just all want to be on the same page, and we want to let the parents and kids know that we’re all working for the same goal. And that’s to have good, respectful young men who are doing the things they’re supposed to be doing in school and out in the community. 

“Because in a few years, these will be the young men working in Greenville and the surrounding areas, and we want to make sure that they’re doing the right thing.  And we want the parents to know that we’re there to help, and that we want to be involved.”

McLendon said that sometimes parents are unaware of what exactly their children are doing at practice, and what role they play for the team overall. Friday night’s event would be opportunity for moms to see their children in a different light.

But more importantly, it’s a way to strengthen already strong ties between the football program and the parents who support it.

“We want them to be involved and know what’s going on whether it’s good or bad,” he said.  “And we definitely don’t want to have to wait to see a parent until something goes wrong.”

Friday night’s event also has more practical benefits for the program, as well. 

It will attempt to emulate a fall Friday night experience as closely as possible—for instance, the Greenville High School Marching Band will perform.

And as the first full-contact experience of the season, it’ll provide valuable experience for the team’s younger players.  Junior varsity players are expected to play just as much, if not more so, than their varsity counterparts.

“It’ll also serve us from a logistical standpoint as far as how we’re going to come out and line up; just all of the stuff that we do pregame on a Friday night—traveling to the stadium, how we stretch and all of that stuff,” he added. “We’re just trying to do a dry run so that it’s not our first time doing it on Aug. 25 and on Sept. 1, also.”

Admission is $5, and concessions will be sold.