Farrington High School football players talk about the challenges of the sport.
American football is a very popular sport in the U.S. The first football game was played on Nov. 6, 1869 betwe
en two college teams Rutgers and Princeton. During this time the rules used to play were similar to soccer. Dayton Triangles hosted the first NFL game on Oct. 3, 1920. The Triangles took the win against Columbus Panhandles, winning 14-0. There are many challenges high school football players have to go against. Balancing your school work, personal life, the pressure to accomplish and taking time to yourself.
“Starting football you need good grades,” said an anonymous Farrington High School football player. According to a sports blog balancing school work, your personal life and football is not an easy task. Planning and staying organized will keep you on track with school. Using weekends to get ahead of your school work is a big help. It will make the following week a lot easier for you. Another big part is limiting your distractions. A Farrington football player says that a way he maintains his school work is by communicating with his teachers and making sure that his grades are always satisfactory.“How I stay balanced is by having to make a lot of sacrifices like going out with my friends, going to the beach, going to the mall…”
“Sacrificing like that will help you balance your personal life, school and football,” said the former anonymous player. This part is where you have to make sacrifices to reach a bigger goal.
Finding time to yourself is important. Your mind and body need a break. When players take breaks they need to be real breaks. Some athletes have a hard time finding time for themselves but it's important that you take time to rest your body and mind. Another sports blog says athletes “ need to ensure we provide our bodies with the nutrients necessary for the repair and synthesis of mussel tissue.” The best way to stay well is to stay hydrated and to rest when needed. It is important to give your body enough time to regenerate and allow your muscles to rest when you are not training according to the previous sports blog.
Many players have multiple coping methods to help when they feel pressure, stress or frustration. Playing football comes with pressure to win a game, become a starter, get a scholarship, and get into a Division 1 school. A Farrington high school football player says that when he feels overwhelmed he thinks of his parents to motivate him. One of the most common ways players use to calm themselves is to take long deep breaths and to clear their mind. There will be times where you feel like giving up. It's important that you have to have a good mindset, stay positive, stay focused and think about what you want in the future. To be successful you need to have motivation, keep practicing and staying consistent according to americanfootballinternational.com
One final Farrington football player states “What helps motivate me is my future, my family. I want a better life for them.” Having a good mindset key.