Football matters
- Thread starter Coalertown44
- Start date
I read a quote once that said " The worst feeling in the world is giving it everything you had, but it just wasn't quite enough. It is the essence of competition " .
Having Kids 1st, Pretty much everything else pales until you get to grandkids I’d suppose. But if we are talking sports and the like I’ll agree football sits uniquely aside by itself!
So I know that we can all get carried away with what football means to each of us game to game. Passions fly wild! All said I wanted to share how my youngest son summed up football after his senior season with an open letter to his team and our football community for the scholarship he received. Get out the tissues guys this one will bring some tears.
“My whole life I have played football, but playing for Wilson is much different. Pride, integrity, and leadership are just a few of the important values my coaches have instilled in me over the past four years.
In somewhat of a tradition at the beginning of the year, Coach Dahms asked the seniors to come up with a quote to help us keep a mindset the entire season. With some help from him, well maybe more than some help, we came up with, “Our Team...One Mission...Right Now!” In this essay, I will discuss how this slogan has impacted the way I play Wilson football, how I was a positive role model for younger players, and how I’ll carry the life lessons I learned in football forward in my post-high school plans.
This slogan has made a positive impact on the way I played Wilson football and the way I will view it forever. The quote combines our team, multiple moving parts and people, coming together to pursue one mission, right now. One of the best words to describe this quote is synergy. Combining all the parts of the team and striving to complete one mission requires synergy. Eleven athletes playing for themselves can never beat eleven athletes playing as one team. The team knew this, Coach Dahms knew this, and this synergy is one of the reasons our season was pretty successful. Our mission was to go as far as we could, and we did.
We played a great game against Harrisburg, but they just outright beat us. It was close, and we fought until the end, but they simply outmatched us. That does not cancel out any of the success we had, in fact, we did more this season than had been done in a while. Looking at the positives will help me look back on this year in the future and not be depressed about our shortcomings. We beat Central Dauphin, obliterated Mifflin, got our revenge against Warwick. All these successes made this season great, and getting to share it with my lifelong friends made it unforgettable.
The younger players on the team are Wilson football’s future. Therefore, it is very important to be a positive role model to help mold the young players into excellent athletes Wilson is known for. From our first spring practice, we made it clear this season was going to be different. Our group of seniors was intent on having a better season than when we were sophomores and juniors. We pushed the younger players, but also built positive relationships with them. My sophomore and junior year, the seniors kept to themselves and all went into the same row. I decided to go in a row with all younger players. Over the year, we all became close and through the shared pain of practice and summer workouts, we built an unbreakable bond. Hopefully the younger players continue to work hard into next year. The continued traditions are the reason why Wilson football is what it is today.
Playing football for Wilson has taught me some very important life lessons, all of which I am certain will help me be a better person and lead a more successful life. I know saying pride, integrity, and leadership are the cliche answers, but to say any less would be a lie. However, that does not even begin to scratch the surface of what Wilson football is all about. To play for our school, there are both physical and mental struggles. Sleds in the summer taught me determination, a trait that will prove useful in college and work. Losing games taught me that every day is not a win, that life will beat you down and won’t stop punching until you get back up and win the next struggle. Everyday it would be easy to lay down and quit, to stop lifting and start relaxing, but playing football for Wilson has taught me there is no place for laziness. What you want is out there and you have to go get it.
After graduating, I will have what most non-athletes do not, the ability to push through the first adversity I face without my parents helping me each step of the way. This sport has been the biggest influence in my life and has taught me more life lessons than school could ever teach. For that, I thank my coaches for teaching me everything about this brutal game. I thank my parents and especially my brothers for beating on me when I was younger (no, not in an abusive way; do not call Child Protective Services) because that forced me to never feel sorry for myself. Lastly, I thank myself, for never quitting, even when it would make life much simpler. Although my time playing for Wilson is over, everything I learned will stay with me until I grow old, proof that football is the greatest sport on Earth.”
“My whole life I have played football, but playing for Wilson is much different. Pride, integrity, and leadership are just a few of the important values my coaches have instilled in me over the past four years.
In somewhat of a tradition at the beginning of the year, Coach Dahms asked the seniors to come up with a quote to help us keep a mindset the entire season. With some help from him, well maybe more than some help, we came up with, “Our Team...One Mission...Right Now!” In this essay, I will discuss how this slogan has impacted the way I play Wilson football, how I was a positive role model for younger players, and how I’ll carry the life lessons I learned in football forward in my post-high school plans.
This slogan has made a positive impact on the way I played Wilson football and the way I will view it forever. The quote combines our team, multiple moving parts and people, coming together to pursue one mission, right now. One of the best words to describe this quote is synergy. Combining all the parts of the team and striving to complete one mission requires synergy. Eleven athletes playing for themselves can never beat eleven athletes playing as one team. The team knew this, Coach Dahms knew this, and this synergy is one of the reasons our season was pretty successful. Our mission was to go as far as we could, and we did.
We played a great game against Harrisburg, but they just outright beat us. It was close, and we fought until the end, but they simply outmatched us. That does not cancel out any of the success we had, in fact, we did more this season than had been done in a while. Looking at the positives will help me look back on this year in the future and not be depressed about our shortcomings. We beat Central Dauphin, obliterated Mifflin, got our revenge against Warwick. All these successes made this season great, and getting to share it with my lifelong friends made it unforgettable.
The younger players on the team are Wilson football’s future. Therefore, it is very important to be a positive role model to help mold the young players into excellent athletes Wilson is known for. From our first spring practice, we made it clear this season was going to be different. Our group of seniors was intent on having a better season than when we were sophomores and juniors. We pushed the younger players, but also built positive relationships with them. My sophomore and junior year, the seniors kept to themselves and all went into the same row. I decided to go in a row with all younger players. Over the year, we all became close and through the shared pain of practice and summer workouts, we built an unbreakable bond. Hopefully the younger players continue to work hard into next year. The continued traditions are the reason why Wilson football is what it is today.
Playing football for Wilson has taught me some very important life lessons, all of which I am certain will help me be a better person and lead a more successful life. I know saying pride, integrity, and leadership are the cliche answers, but to say any less would be a lie. However, that does not even begin to scratch the surface of what Wilson football is all about. To play for our school, there are both physical and mental struggles. Sleds in the summer taught me determination, a trait that will prove useful in college and work. Losing games taught me that every day is not a win, that life will beat you down and won’t stop punching until you get back up and win the next struggle. Everyday it would be easy to lay down and quit, to stop lifting and start relaxing, but playing football for Wilson has taught me there is no place for laziness. What you want is out there and you have to go get it.
After graduating, I will have what most non-athletes do not, the ability to push through the first adversity I face without my parents helping me each step of the way. This sport has been the biggest influence in my life and has taught me more life lessons than school could ever teach. For that, I thank my coaches for teaching me everything about this brutal game. I thank my parents and especially my brothers for beating on me when I was younger (no, not in an abusive way; do not call Child Protective Services) because that forced me to never feel sorry for myself. Lastly, I thank myself, for never quitting, even when it would make life much simpler. Although my time playing for Wilson is over, everything I learned will stay with me until I grow old, proof that football is the greatest sport on Earth.”