About a year ago this time, I was not a football player, nor did I ever expect to be. My football experience consisted of schoolyard pick-up and Sundays spent watching the Patriots win Super Bowls (sorry, not sorry). I grew up playing soccer in the fall, and shaped into a decent goalkeeper. I figured it would be my fall sport of choice through my high school years. I even found myself on varsity during my freshman year at Groton, though my (lack of) talent kept me on the bench behind the starting goalie, who would go on to become one of my best friends. Despite being surrounded by great people, there was something about soccer that felt off. I wasn’t connected to the sport the same as I was with lacrosse or hockey.
The summer after my freshman year, I faced the dilemma of whether I should stick with soccer or try my hand at something new. The prospect of playing football, which started as a joke among my friends on the team, inched closer and closer to reality. As I stood on the fence of playing football or going back to soccer, my phone blew up with messages from friends and coaches, all trying to sway me to the gridiron. Finally, I gave in to the demand and signed up for football. For the first time since I was a toddler, I would have to learn how to play a sport.
Pre-season of 2022 rolled around, and I arrived on campus with the football gloves I had bought at Dick’s Sporting Goods a week prior, and a very weak grasp of the playbook that I had months to study. My first practice was spent learning how to properly take a handoff and hold on to the football. Despite the struggles, I had a blast getting to spend time with my friends. Getting to spend a whole week together, practicing together three times a day, and eating every meal together created plenty of fun memories that bonded us all.
As we moved into our season and I improved my skills, my excitement increased. I played more and more in games until I eventually became a starter. It was even more fun getting to spend time with my teammates on the field during a game, as we all shared a profound love for competing. I found a joy in football that I never quite did with soccer. I had found my place with the team.
A year later, we're now gearing up for another season. I’ve had time to break in my gloves, and I have a far better understanding of our playbook. Soon, we’ll arrive on campus and be greeted by the grueling fitness test that signals the start of another season. While I’m excited to get the ball in my hands and run, I’m more excited for the new memories I’ll make at practice, or the laughs I’ll share in the locker room. I’m excited to get back to the family I’ve found. But I am human after all, so I’m most excited to win some football games.