When fall rolls around and the colors of the leaves begin to change, there is a mood that I get into. This isn’t a mood relating to an emotion so much as a state of mind. With chilly temperatures and thoughts of hot chocolate beginning to fill my head, so are thoughts of whether or not my favorite football teams are going to win. Teams stretching from my old high school team all the way to my NFL team.
By this point, all of the football seasons have kicked off (no pun intended), and for the most part, my teams have done pretty well. That sadly can’t be said for others who have already thrown their money in the pot on fantasy leagues and guessing draft picks. Even though I didn’t attempt to gamble my way into a fantasy league, football is still basically my life from August to January. My dad is a coach for the high school team, my brother plays on the team, and my mom is on the booster club so in turn, I am, by association, a part of the team as well.
Being part of a football-loving family and part of the team isn’t such a bad thing though. It set a course for what I want to do with my life and aided me when I played sports. Before throwing a softball, I learned how to throw a football and defend myself when it came to contact sports. The other advantage is that, with this much involvement in such an awesome sport, I have at least 15, if not more, other brothers looking out for me at all times. A team as close-knit as the one I grew up knowing can only be as good as the people who support them. So when that crisp autumn air begins to roll in, I roll out all of my favorite jerseys and fangirl outfits for my brother, Penn State, and Saquon Barkley. For those of you who don’t know he played for Penn State and now plays for my favorite NFL team (the Giants) so I am always looking forward to this time of year.
Football is a major part of my life but I truly wouldn’t have it any other way. I am grateful to have received the friends and opportunities I have from watching, playing, and learning about the sport. If you’re not already a fan of football I would highly recommend going to see your high school team this Friday night. Maybe tune into a game or two on television of college or NFL. There is so much to be taken away from the game and I am so glad to have been raised in a home where tossing around the pigskin was our favorite pass time.