Lessons from the Goal Line

     Those who know me well know that I am not by any means a huge fan of football. I'm not sure how exactly I seemed to miss that gene -growing up in the south where both loyalties and rivalries run deep and seem to take on a life of their own- but I did. Whilst all my friends spent their Saturdays in pulsing college towns, clothed in team colors and legacy pins, I was involved in other activities and never once worried that I was missing out. There was nothing wrong with the games, they just weren't for me. There were, however, two exceptions to this rule: I loved going out and actually participating in the sport -whether through powderpuff games at school or saturday rounds of ultimate between churches- and I loved to watch my high school play. There is something to be said about attending a game that you have heard being talked up for weeks, when all you hear in class, at lunch, during breaks is how many points someone is going to score, what elaborate plays will be run, and other reports of imminent victory. It's endearing, I guess.
 

  Because of this, whether the night finds the school meeting against a cross-town rival or a relatively unknown opponent, the way you view the game changes. It becomes personal as you stand and cheer with your friends, wait to see how well the surefire plans actually pan out, and memorize moments that you know will be major talking points come Monday morning. This aspect of community, more than anything else, has gotten me through what has become a Friday night tradition for the last six seasons, game after game spent learning how to balance while standing on top of bleacher seats -often in heels- in the middle of a pulsing student section, and remembering somewhere amidst the freezing cold, the cramped quarters, and the pom-poms that would inevitably make accidental contact with people's faces, just how much fun it is to be a participate in something like that, an event where people are so passionate and so excited, to be part of a whole in a moment that you cannot completely understand or explain, but will never forget either.

Which brings me to this post...

This is the part of senior year that I hate.  Amidst all of the expected decisions and celebrations and milestones the year plays host to a much less glamorous collection of lasts. Last volleyball trip, last Homecoming week, and most recently, last football game.

Sometime while watching the clock tick down the seconds, everyone -players, fans, coaches, parents- began to face the possibility that had been lurking in the back of their minds for much of the quarter -this was it. Six years of blistering summer practices, hours in the weight room, and nail-biters spent under the bright florescent lights of the field could be felt as they came to a close in those final moments and listening to the band's final song took on a different meaning as the defeated faces we looked into were those of our boys and our grade who would never step foot on that field again. Having recently gone through the same situation during the state volleyball tournament, it was not at all difficult to imagine what was going through their heads.

While high school sports are by no means the most important part of life as a whole, they do represent many hours of determination, friendships formed, and memories made. There is nothing that can replace the feeling of a loud, energetic crowd reacting to your performance and the knowledge that all of those people stopped what they were doing to watch you and your teammates do what you love. Moreover, the lessons these experiences teach contribute a great deal toward the people that we are and are becoming. However, becoming these new people requires change and like anything else in life, sports are no different.

As we enter into the new phases of our lives next fall, much will be the same. We'll still be attending classes like we have for years in high school, semi-formals and formals will replace the country club dances we've grown up with, and numerous opportunities for social events will still abound. On the other hand, one of the key facets of these last few years that will not remain for the majority of us is our sports. While there are plenty of opportunities for intramural teams in college and even a few afterwards, it will not be the same. The feeling of pulling on a jersey and going out to prove just what you're capable of to not only your coaches, your friends, and your school, but yourself as well is unique and may only be found in this one chapter of our lives and while it means something different to every person, it is nonetheless invaluable to each.

So even though our status as players and cheerleaders and coaches by no means defines us, and though we realize that in the grand scheme of the rest of our lives what a short and seemingly minor chapter it is, it is important and the feelings it brings are important and as a result, it's alright to sit for a while and recount final drives and battles conquered and trophies won, memories and mistakes made. Because while some may argue that these activities are in no way world-changing or of any incredible importance, the friendships we've formed, the things we've accomplished, and the lessons we've learned have changed our worlds.