Football has been a very big aspect in my life until the unexpectable happened… Football started in 4th grade for me I was very excited and had been looking forward to this moment for about a year. I went to sign ups with my father, I was so happy I could explode. The first practice came and I was ecstatic but of course my first practice I put every thing on wrong except my helmet. My coach Mr. Hurley came over to me and helped me put my pads on the right way. Then my teammates and I who I don’t even know take a knee and Mr. Hurley gives a long speech about how this sport works and what it’s going to be like to play. We then all get off our knees and star doing some basic drills. For example push and roll, it is when you hit a spring loaded pad drop to the ground and roll to the next one.

The next day we had another practice by then I already made a couple friends. We did the same basic drills for about and hour until Mr. Hurley said, “huddle up boys”. He told us to spread apart evenly and go see one of the assistant coaches. We did specific drills that were made to find out what position would be best for us. Luckily for me the coach pulled me aside and said you’re a linemen now go see coach Hurley. Coach Hurley then said, “do a couple more drills” and decided that I was going to play the entire offensive and defensive line. Obviously not at the same time but where ever he thought he needed me. Witch was usually at right or left guard, my job was to protect QB on offence, and on defense I had to try to get through the offensive line and sack (tackle) the QB. But some days he would put me in right or left tackle, my job was to tackle the apposing teams ball carrier or tackle the people trying to get to the QB.

What it’s like to be inside a football helmet… the feeling of being inside a football player’s helmet is awesome. The adrenaline running through you vanes, watching the player in front of you sweat rolling down they’re face and yours as well. The ball gets snapped and the only thing going through your mind is protecting your QB or tackle they’re QB. And the feeling of tackling a QB is amazing you feel invincible, and when you get back up on the line of scrimmage everything comes right back and it happens all over again.

Football is a brotherhood a big family you’ll be apart of your whole life. They’re now your brothers now your family, they’re people you can talk to about anything. They’re people you can trust in a game to make a block or tackle or someone you can trust with your life. But most of all after the season is over you still got your brothers you still have your family and you will for the rest of your life.

Whenever I did something wrong I would either widen my stance or try harder to achieve my plays. Or I would ask my coach for help or he would yell at me and I understood what I did wrong and fixed my mistakes. Over my three years of football my left knee has taken a beating and my third year I had to cut short and quit football because I now have Oshkin Slaughters Disease. That is when your tendons on your shin bone pull on the top and bow it out and create a lot of pain. Than I started physical therapy and have been trying to recuperate my knee and get back into football.

I am now in high school, it has been 4 years and my doctor said my knee has recuperated enough to where I can play football again. But if it starts hurting I have to stop and take a 5 to 10 minute break. Even if it doesn’t heart after practices and games I have to ice it and let it rest. Although my doctor told me after football try outs so I wont be playing this year but will be next year, I will be a junior. Hopefully next year I will make the varsity team and be able to have that feeling of sacking the QB or tackling the ball carrier again. And believe me that is one of the best feelings you can possibly have.

In this time frame before try outs next year I will be working out every day trying to lose weight and gain back that weight with muscle. I will also be working on my knee a little more even though the doctor told me its fine to play on but is better to be safe than sorry. If I don’t keep up with my knee it could possibly pop out of the socket or tear most of the tendons in my leg.

Back to my head coach Mr. Hurly he is the best coach I have ever had in any sport I have played. But the day I had to tell everyone I had to quit I started to cry I thought I was letting my teammates down and Mr. Hurly especially, but he then told me to come talk to him he told me he’s not mad he’s not disappointed he’s he said he’s proud of me and how far I’ve made it. Ever since that day I have respected him and always will to the day I die. Everyone should remember any sport you have played any team that you’ve been on, your teammates will always be you brothers/ sisters and there always they’re for you no matter what happens.