Grit
I will always remember when our family pulled up to the practice field and I hopped out with brand new cleats on my feet. We had just driven back from a trip to Texas and I hadn’t even been home yet, but it was time for football camp, and I had already missed a few days. I went up to the coaches and they introduced me to everyone. I then got to stand back and watch everyone else practice. I was more than a little intimidated, but this new sport was my dad’s favorite, so I wanted to give it a shot.
I remember the very first time I got to hit someone in practice. We both fired out at each other and my hand slammed into him. I think I probably broke it because it has never been quite the same since. I just kept playing. I showed up to practice every day and slowly learned to speak the language. I got used to wearing the equipment and learned to hit, but I wasn’t very good. In fact, I was the worst player on the team. I had no idea what I was doing. One day after practice I was called into the coaches’ office and learned that I was ineligible to play for most of the season. I later learned that this happened because of paperwork being misfiled, but by the time this was revealed, it was already too late. I felt my eyes fill with tears as I was told that I could travel with varsity and that I could practice, but I wouldn’t be able to dress for games until the very end of the season. I was devastated. I decided to continue practicing and learn what I could so that maybe I would be better prepared for the next season. I practiced hard every day and did everything that was asked of me, but that year I only got to play for about three minutes at the end of one junior varsity game. The season was very discouraging for me, but I learned what I could and focused on getting better. At the end-of-season awards ceremony, my junior varsity coach said that he was expecting “big things” from me in the future, but I wasn’t convinced.
I worked hard in the off-season and signed up to play again my sophomore year. I got more JV time and started to get the hang of things. I was an average JV football player and that season was about what you would expect. I continued to grow, and I gradually became more aggressive. Then came my junior year. I worked hard to improve, and I really understood what I was doing, but I was not getting the varsity reps that I was hoping for. I was still on JV squad but regularly got in for a series or two in each varsity game. Every week I was getting a little more varsity time and how to play the game started to click for me. Just as my varsity career was taking off, I sprained my ankle in practice. That Friday I tried to play in the game but my sprain only got worse. I spent the rest of the season trying to play on a weak ankle only to reinjure it time and time again. My junior season was over.
When my senior year came around, I finally earned the starting right guard spot. I was thrilled to get reps. I had learned to love football. I found enjoyment in driving the person across from me backwards and getting the occasional great hit. I thrived being a part of a team and learned a lot from playing a key role in our successes and failures. Not only did I earn the starting spot, but I was also voted captain by my teammates. I never thought that I would one day be a captain. After all, I once was just a little intimidated freshman trying the sport that my dad loved, but I had done it! Football became my thing; I enjoyed it and it fit me well. I savored every snap of the ball and loved each hit. My senior year made every painful part of my three-year journey worth it.
Football was never easy for me, but I am thankful for it. I learned to take on challenges and to work until I defeated them. It helped me develop grit and the ability to see failure as opportunities for growth. It gave me the satisfaction of working hard to achieve something that did not come naturally for me, and it helped to shape me into who I am today. Football was so much more than just a sport to me; it was an opportunity to grow.
