Short lesson from a football player...

I love watching football, I think that both of you know this. I have not been able to watch football in over a year because I didn't have TV. However, this week Comcast came out and set my television up so I was able to watch my game last night! GO HAWKS!!! Anyway, as much as I love to watch football and I love football players. I am just awed and amazed that they can do what they do on the field with the running and throwing and hitting. I am most impressed by the way that they can take a hit or fall without dying. I've spent many a game on the sidelines as an athletic trainer and it's amazing that they come back from day to day let alone year to year. Now as much as I respect and admire the physicality of most football players, I generally HATE it when they start speaking on camera. Have you ever noticed how most football players just sound dumb? I know that they're not but they just sound that way. What you also have to consider is that most teams only let they're smartest players talk on camera. Only occasionally, when he's Rhodes scholar or something, do you get to see a lineman speaking to the press. It's usually a QB and someone in the receiving/running corps. Don't get me wrong, I don't blame these young men at all. Under normal circumstances I'm sure that they know how to speak fluent English and grasp the basic concepts of sentence structure, but they drag these young men directly from the field immediately after a loss or a win. There is celebratory bedlam all around and they're supposed to focus and deliver a clever, inspiring, uplifting, bragging or apologetic message...yeah right! Sorry, I'm getting off on a tangent. Basically, I've heard a lot of really ridiculously dumb post game interviews. Last nights with Stanzi though, the QB from Iowa, he made two statements that got me thinking about us.

When he was asked about his feelings on the the way Iowa has been playing, especially the tough games that they play (winning the last 3 home games by a total of 6 points) he responded:

'We're going to have to fight adversity, and we've had to do that a lot in our football games, and that's just going to help build character. We're excited about the record, but there's still a lot of football left'

Apparently yesterday when I was asking why the world is hard, I forgot to mention that it builds character. You know, I truly believe this. If we have to struggle to achieve things, if we have to fight tooth and nail to reach one goal we're in that same mindset for the next.

Stanzi was also asked about the thoughts behind having to sweat out victories and his questionable pass in the the first series of the game. His response:

'Everyone staying together. That's what it comes down to. You can't focus so much on a little play. If everyone sticks together, that's when we can be at our best.'

Again, I have to agree with him. When you're working so hard for something and you fumble, if there are people around you fighting towards the same goal they can help you get back on track. To me, this is one of the most important factors to success. If we fall, we need to know that our team is working right along beside us and can give us a hand up, brush the grass off our back and give us a hard slap on the ass (football boys really like the slap on the ass).

Having said that, one of my main goals for the coming weeks is to become a better player on our team. I will strive to stop fumbling the ball. I will work to become a solid player so that when you stumble I can offer you a hand up as opposed to being on the ground already!

OK, I shall stop metawhoring (a term from a really delightful book I read once) and let you enjoy your Sunday. Have a great week ladies!