On the football field, I am the most amped up player and one of the captains on the team. But in the classroom and in public, I am far from it. I have been told that people admire my heart and fight, despite my small size. Football lets me express who I really am, and I shouldn’t be the only high school kid who gets to experience that.
Since sixth grade, I’ve dealt with social anxiety and have had trouble meeting new people; for me, I always get extremely scared when I have to talk to people I don’t know during class or seeming weird walking in the hallways. The thing that has always helped me meet new people is football; all my best friends now have come from football. I still struggle with being able to speak my voice and be a leader, but every time I step on that field, whether it is for a practice or a game, I can be the energetic leader that I know I can be.
One of the best feelings in the world is winning. Football teaches you that your will to win has to be greater than your want to win, or else you have no chance. When you put in all that hard work and the final whistle blows, the satisfaction and happiness that flow through your body are unmatched.
Although winning is fun, it isn’t guaranteed like the health benefits you get from playing football. According to Piedmont, playing football is an amazing way to stay fit for any age group that matters. In football, you do strength training, interval training, endurance training and sprint training, all of which improve your overall health.
Football is a disciplined sport, and many coaches don’t mess around. They love to take care of tedious things and will discipline you with things like push-ups. As well as you will learn how to win and how to lose; football teaches you a lot of character, such as how to deal with winning and losing with class.
Many people shy away from football because of the risk of getting concussions. As of recently, they have much improved technology in the football helmets themselves, as well as in other accessories. According to Guardian Sports, Guardian Caps are new foam covers for the helmets. They have reduced concussions by 50%, and that sample size is from the NFL, where all of the hardest hitters are.
Without football, I have no clue what type of person I would be, which is why I encourage every single person to find a sport you love that is like football for me.
