My High School Football Experience

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure”-Colin Powell. It is always great knowing that each drop of sweat and pebble of dirt on your face from hard work will pay off and be rewarded in the end. My high school football experience was unlike anything I had ever dreamed of and taught me life lessons that I will never forget. From pushing hard to play as a freshmen, to winning state as a sophomore, and later leading the team to the semifinals as a senior captain holds a unique place in my heart. Although football in high school was the biggest part of my sports life, that was not the beginning. Starting at the age of five, my time was beginning to become consumed by watching,
The summer workouts were finally over and it was time for normal practice and Friday night games. After all the hard work, the desire for victory was boundless. Every Monday through Thursday after school at 3:30 we started practice. Practice at the time was always a struggle and something I took for granted as a freshmen. Being able to practice every day after school with such a fantastic group of guys was not only something fun to do, but something to mentally clear and help your mind. I have now learned to enjoy coming home and cleaning off the sweat and dirt after long days, for it reminds myself that I am blessed with the ability to go out and play or work for my team or my job I have acquired. Finally the Friday night games began, and sadly my playtime was very minimal. This small amount of time spent on the field Friday nights was always expected as a freshmen, but was constantly difficult because of the desire to show the talents you are capable of. My job the majority of the time as a freshman was filling water and helping communicate with players and coaches on the field during games. Having this monotonous job as a freshman made my thoughts of playing football begin to dissipate, but now I am very joyful I did not give up on something that so positively impacted my life over the next three years. Our season finally came to an
Although my height and weight stayed almost the same, my ability as a player had greatly strengthened. During my sophomore season, I made strong friendships with the senior leaders in which we were not only together when playing the sport, but when hanging out in general. This group of guys was not only exceptional athletes and friends, but also a group of mentors in which I still look up to. Still to this day I am blessed to be able to stay in contact and relish time with these guys. My playing time as a sophomore had increased slightly, but was still gaining experience for the next years to come. This season begins and our team was soon named district champs, having a 10-0 record going into playoffs. Playoffs could not have turned out any better, and our high school football team was named State Champions. Being a state champion in any sport, particularly football, had been a dream of mine for a very long time. My mind now goes back to this particular night, placing chills on my arms and creating an exultant mood in which I will never disregard. The numerous amounts of pictures taken holding that gold ball while kissing and crying is a vivid memory engraved in my heart. Winning this state championship was not only about receiving that gold ball, but was a testimony to myself that dedication and hard work with others will positively will give me strength to handle difficult times to