During my first 3 years of Cartersville High School, I have been on the football team. For my senior year I decided to transition from Football player to game recorder. Even though I have made this transition, I still have many years under my belt of previous football training that I have grown to realize not everyone in the school seems to know about.

The training of football is a trial by fire and one that can drive any player to the point of exhaustion and anger. Many of them complain and want to quit, but others conquer and rise to the occasion. 4 days a week of practice on a year-round schedule are filled with both physical and mental tools that will grow the players into men.

I have been on the sidelines most of the time during some periods, and I always would talk to any player that came back to the sideline for a break. Most times they are tired and take a knee and I would ask “You good?” or “Had fun?” and I would always hear “Yeah” or just see them exhausted, slathered in sweat, and getting water. And that alone is just a small 5–10-minute period of doing practice scripted plays.

One thing I feel people don’t realize is what it’s like to be outside in football practice. Imagine a hot and humid area that you can’t leave until a certain time that no one can tell when it ends. Yeah, it sounds rough, doesn’t it? Especially in spring practices where it only remains humid almost every time, players are preparing for a year’s worth of hard work to endure harsh conditions.

Another thing un-thought of is the amount of time it will take up in someone’s life whether they like it or not. During summer, every morning from 8-12 I spent nonstop work in 90- to even 100 degrees and all anyone can do is just suffer. And even school events like homecoming and prom are postponed for players that have to stay behind and practice or play a game before they can enjoy other things. Even those that have jobs or other important things usually even have to postpone their actual job to go to practice. Sometimes this would seem like a questionable moral to place in a sport, but I guess that’s how things go.

But I will say there are still benefits to being on the team. Everyone there has shared interests and hobbies. I however wasn’t as fortunate, but it was nice to see the comradery of the teammate. Even though they express this in some ways that seem questionable and downright just crazy, it’s just how they play around and express that “brotherhood” that exists within the team. Also, there are many moments where the team will get to go out to a pool or a BBQ or things of that sort, even helping out the community from time to time, doing services around town.

Though the sport of football is sometimes intense and crazy, not many people see the stuff that goes into making a strong and capable team. I would just like everyone to know what kinds of things go into doing this and see football players as more than insane meatheads, and more like a group of hardworking men working for a better future.