Question for those who've played prep football

[thenamerobdigity]

This is an interesting thread... Honestly I didn't have that much fun playing football, I would have played in college if I truly did love playing the game of football but chose not to. My favorite sport was soccer, but at Highlands how was I going to make the decision to play soccer especially since I was in 8th grade when the 2000 team was so fun to watch. I love watching the sport and like to think I know a lot about it, but playing wasn't that fun. Don't get me wrong there were a lot of times where I enjoyed playing, but its more than a full time job to play high school football. A lot of people ask me if I wished I would have played in college and I say no I am happy with the decision I made.

 

On the other hand I am very happy I played because I am a part of one of the most storied football programs in the country. I got my ring and it is neat to be a part of something special. But I can see where people are coming from when they say they didnt enjoy it

[jbwill2]

For all of you guys who have responded to my question, when and how did you decide to play football?

[jbwill2]

This is an interesting thread... Honestly I didn't have that much fun playing football, I would have played in college if I truly did love playing the game of football but chose not to. My favorite sport was soccer, but at Highlands how was I going to make the decision to play soccer especially since I was in 8th grade when the 2000 team was so fun to watch. I love watching the sport and like to think I know a lot about it, but playing wasn't that fun. Don't get me wrong there were a lot of times where I enjoyed playing, but its more than a full time job to play high school football. A lot of people ask me if I wished I would have played in college and I say no I am happy with the decision I made.

 

On the other hand I am very happy I played because I am a part of one of the most storied football programs in the country. I got my ring and it is neat to be a part of something special. But I can see where people are coming from when they say they didnt enjoy it

Follow-up question: if it wasn't that fun, why did you keep playing football during your entire time at Highlands? A lot of time transpired between you watching the 2000 HHS squad play as an 8th-grader and wrapping up your football career in December 2004.

 

Also, I must add: you got more than just a title ring... you also got yourself a spot in the KHSAA record book under individual stats.

[thenamerobdigity]

Follow-up question: if it wasn't that fun, why did you keep playing football during your entire time at Highlands? A lot of time transpired between you watching the 2000 HHS squad play as an 8th-grader and wrapping up your football career in December 2004.

 

Also, I must add: you got more than just a title ring... you also got yourself a spot in the KHSAA record book under individual stats.

 

Well part of it was I kinda felt like that was what I was supposed to do. At the time I didnt think of the alternative, which would be not playing. I do want to say that I am happy I played but there are pros and cons of playing. One thing is I am not one who is really into working out, in fact I really dont like it at all. I do believe in the value of hard work though. And as we all know for football it requires ample amount of time in the gym. If it were just for the pure sport, I would have definately enjoyed it more, but winning was better.

 

It is difficult to explain but I look back and I am happy I played but at the same time I am happy its over.

[sportsfan41]

I tore my PCL, ACL and meniscus in a scrimmage the week before the opener my senior season. My simple answer is that I'd unequivocally do it all over again.

 

Same here, in 4 years of HS football I had 3 knee surgueries and a broken arm, and to this day I think about how much FUN it would be to do it all over again. I literally was thinking that exact thought yesterday while driving home from work.

[sportsfan41]

For all of you guys who have responded to my question, when and how did you decide to play football?

 

Ha funny story, I went with a friend to see Varsity Blues the summer leading up to my freshmen year. I thought wow those guys are all football player and look like they're having alot of fun, so I thought about it. A few weeks later the Freshmen coach called my house and said he'd heard that I might be interested in playing football, and that he'd heard I was athletic; with that said I decided to play.

[Ram]

For all of you guys who have responded to my question, when and how did you decide to play football?

 

To be honest, I'm not sure. I know that from the time I watched a game on TV, I couldn't wait until I was old enough to play football. When the time came I didn't hesitate. But, my mother was not for it, so my dad took me and registered me with out her knowing and we didn't tell her until the day of the first practice. Neither of my parents ever missed one of my games.

[2 Humped Camel]

For all of you guys who have responded to my question, when and how did you decide to play football?

 

My older brother is 10 years older than me and I grew up watching him play. I started playing for the starters in the NKYFL when I was 5 or 6, but I don't remember deciding to play it's just something my family did. I was one of 7 grandchildren and the only one who didn't play college football.

[ThrillVille Cardinal51]

For all of you guys who have responded to my question, when and how did you decide to play football?

 

It's Kind of weird, but I grew up going to beechwood games when they dominated in the mid to late 90's with my dad who played for them in the 70's. I can remember being a little kid and wanting to play for Beechwood so bad. I loved the atmosphere at their games, and I can't remember ever being at a game where they lost. But anyways What really got me wanting to play though was my older brother, who is 2 years older than me. He really wanted to play football as a kid while I was a little more indifferent. After a couple of years of nagging my mom finally caved and let me and my brother sign up for Raiders youth football when I was 8. I fell in love with the game after that for a few reasons. First I made new friends and second because I wasn't half bad I guess because I started for the junior team right away when I should have been a midget(weight issues lol). As the seasons went by I became more and more dedicated, A lot of it had to do with the excellent coaches in the RYF program at the time like Mark Koch, Greg Hall and Mark Steffen. When I was in the 6th or 7th grade I realized that all of my friends wanted to go to CovCath, so that ended my dream of ever playing for Beechwood( best decision of my life so far was to attend CCH BTW). when I arrived at CCH as a freshmen I fell in love with the school and its tradition and the rest is history I guess.

[papagrit]

For all of you guys who have responded to my question, when and how did you decide to play football?

 

My brother had played 7 years before me. But, I decidedI wanted to play when on the playground after school in the fifth grade I saw another teachers kid come by with some actual game pads and a a helmet and was wowed! I'd drag six or seven kids at a time around on that play ground while carrying the ball. After seeing that shiny helmet and those pads decided that I would definitely play when I got my first chance in the sixth grade. (There was no youth league around home then and sixth grade was the beginning.) Of course I became a lineman and never carried the ball. My poor mom had to sit through 13 years of football between me and my brother and now she has sat through eleven more so far with my boys and at least four to go.

[C6H0-83]

Having played in HS and College, you don't realize how much you enjoy it until it is over. Yes there are days you want to be somewhere else, when you wish for the practice/season to be over. But when you take off that helmet for the last time and are able to look back on the big picture, I would have to say that the majority of guys who have ever played would agree that the enjoyable/not enjoyable scale is heavily tipped to the enjoyable side. When you add in the life long friendships made by spending so much time together for a common goal, imo it goes way beyond just Fun.

[leatherneck]

For all of you guys who have responded to my question, when and how did you decide to play football?

 

For me, it was when I was very young; 2nd or 3rd grader. An older kid down the street was on Highlands team. He'd often get me and a bunch of my friends together and throw football with us or be the full time qb in a game of tag football. I thought it was cool as a cucumber to be able to play tag or toss football with a Highlands player and that got me wanting to play the game. As soon as I was old enough to play in the Jr. Football League, I signed up. I had lots of fun playing in the Jr. Football League even though my teams didn't win very often, so it was not winning that made it fun for me. It was just fun. While I liked playing baseball more as a youth (and still would much rather watch pro baseball than pro football), when I got to high school I only played football. That might have had a lot to do with my body type and the fact that while I loved baseball, I wasn't a very good baseball player. With football continuing to be fun for me, I continued playing football in high school and college.

[ThinThirty]

I always had fun Playing the games on Friday Nights, a lot of excitement, good competition. I had fun sharing all the experiences with my coaches and team mates that were involved in the season. I played for Tom Duffy and playing football for him was a seven days week during the season. I guess the only thing that was not much fun was the conditioning. I wish I could still play now, even 29 years later.

[CatsCatsCats]

For all of you guys who have responded to my question, when and how did you decide to play football?

 

I was going to have to play football from the time I was a kid. I remember being told that I was going to be a QB from the time I was in 2nd grade, even though I didn't play it full-time until 6th or 7th grade. To be honest with you I liked basketball and baseball better until I started playing QB full-time.

[jmoore33]

Is it fun of course, why would we play? But I loved the satisfaction of knowing I was able to put it on the line. Then the respect I got from my coaches and teammates was the greatest feeling ever. Anyone can go out and play basketball or baseball with a group of people, but football it doesn't work like that. You need the equiptment the teammates and 11 other guys to play against. Football is a special fraturnity and you don't get accepted until you put it on the line.