Definition

I grew up in a relatively small town where being part of a group would shape one and the world around them in a vast manner. The church communities in my town all had an integral part in many fundraisers, fairs, and other volunteer events. There were two schools and thus, two communities within the bigger community that is the town itself. Within these schools laid clubs, music groups, and the sporting organizations. Therein was football, which was arguably my best teacher throughout my High School tenure. I learned more on the field then I ever did in any specific class. I learned leadership, responsibility, respect, work ethic, and loyalty.
Being part of the football team means so much more than going out on the field and playing some games. I’d compare it to being in a branch of the military. Everyone on the field is not only a teammate, but a member of an elite family. They’re part of a group of guys who are willing to lay it out on the line for you even though they may not know or like you that much. There is a certain amount of respect you gain for your peers and mentors on the team, but with that respect comes responsibility. In the army everyone looks to their superiors for guidance and leadership in times of need. But the lower ranking soldiers are still an important piece of the larger machine. Everyone needs to function as one and do their part, and in turn the machine will function properly. One needs to trust that the lower members of the team will do their job properly to ensure the success of the machine, and in turn the higher ranking members will return the favor. But when something goes wrong, the leader must step up and take control.
During my junior year of school those leaders didn’t step up. They in fact fell apart in the face of adversity, and in turn, so did the team. I was actually one of the hardest workers in the weight room, and a great leader for the Junior Varsity team my sophomore year. I hit my junior year and was expecting to see the field a lot, and help the team win some games. The head coach of the varsity had some issues with my dad, and because of that I was penalized. I entered the season backup up a tandem of 3 senior starters at three different positions. One of those starters went down with a knee injury, and the coach turned around, stared me directly in the eyes, and yelled “do I have anyone else who can play his position!?” He then proceeded to shoot me a subtle glare with a smug smirk on his face. If I didn’t love the game so much I would’ve walked off the field right then and there. I went through sixteen weeks of uncontrollable hell. All I could do was sit back and wait for my time to strike back.
At the end of a 0-9 season in which I appeared in three games for a very brief period of time, our coach was fired. As it turns out, some of my friends’ parents had taken notice of the coach and his methods, and started a petition to the school board. The next year was the most fun year I’ve ever had while playing sports. We finally started winning games and I earned conference accolades, and it made everything worthwhile. It was good for me to go through that whole experience and reflect back upon it. I learned that good things really do come to those who wait, and with hard work, anything is possible. I learned to respect people despite the fact that I hated them, and whether the respect was a show or not, good things still came out of it in the end. I don’t wish it upon anyone to have that horrible experience like I did, but I would encourage all to just get out and try out for some sort of sport. Football for me was that solace from the outside world, where I felt invincible. I was free from all other cares, worries, and problems. When I was playing not only was I with my friends, but my family.