It has come to an end. I am writing this almost as a commitment to myself because knowing myself, and my self-diagnosed bipolar tendencies I will most definitely second guess my decision, and attempt to change my mind. It is November 8th, 2021 as I write you this...
Spoiler alert...I did.
17 Years roughly I have been involved with the game of football, my mother's claim to fame however is that it is 22 years after I attended my first football game at the ripe old age of 3 months. Football has changed my life, it has shaped me into who I am, it has impacted me, but there is more to me than football.
There is more to me than what was the stereotypical high-school quarterback, or now a collegiate athlete. Even though at times I let those around me think that those titles define me. I know there always has been and always will be more to me.
From the Westchase Colts, to the Berkeley Buccaneers, on to the Cranbrook Cranes, and now the Ohio Northern Polar Bears, I have played for a wide array of coaches, and programs. Institutions that my priorities did and did not align with. All of this has shaped my career, my thoughts, and my mindset moving forward. I have had coaches that changed my life, and I have had coaches that just let years go by. I have played for institutions that believed in and supported athletics, I have played for institutions that probably would wish them away.
I am thankful for all of it.
In the end, I never did obtain many of the lofty goals I set for myself. This is not to begin a pity party for myself but instead the beginning of a bittersweet reflection. But one that is not the end.
"What's meant to be, will be" a saying that I have worked to live by for quite some time now sits at the top of my head because while it's meant to be, it does not mean you have to like it. It also does not mean you can't influence it. However, I am thankful for it.
They say you get what you put in. You must make sacrifices to be successful in all aspects of life. I never made the biggest ones necessary. Perhaps I still haven't, I am working on it.
I dreamed of winning a state title in high school, and I worked hard, but I never did enough to make that a reality. I didn't make those sacrifices necessary. I was the hardest working Quarterback in our league, as well as our district, we won both of those, but in the state, I was not. I am, however, thankful.
I wanted to play division 1 college football. To reach that goal you have to be one of the best 400ish quarterbacks in the country (that may be being generous) or know someone and even then you can come up short. I wasn't even the best Quarterback in my state I may have been top 10 but I wasn't there. However, I am thankful.
I wanted to be a 3 to 4-year collegiate starting Quarterback, at whatever level I ended up at. That never materialized, starters remained, transfers arrived, COVID hit, I didn't reach my potential. There are countless reasons why statistically my college career never hit how I wanted it to. However, I am thankful.
My play on the field was always solid, but it was never great. I did what I could for the team I played with in my skillsets, I was tough, and I was smart, but I never challenged myself to grow my skill set or abilities, not the way I could have or should have. However, I am thankful.
Off the field is a completely different story. I was involved in all aspects of a team, I was an NCAA rep, I was a leadership council rep, I ran team social media, I recruited, and in this last chapter, I have begun coaching, officially.
I was a leader, I would say an exceptional one at that. I stood by my teammates and my locker room at all costs. I challenged coaches, athletic directors, and even school principals. I worked with underclassmen, allowed them to grow while also encouraging them, I wanted to be someone they could believe in and rely on. I did anything and everything for any team I was a part of, the team always came first. For that I am thankful.
I will never be a player on a team again, I will never be a player in a locker-room full of guys from all backgrounds brought together by one common goal and interest. I will have those guys for the rest of my life though, the friends, and family now that has come from just a sport. I am eternally thankful for them.
Thankful, yes I am. What a journey it has been, I just highlighted what to some could feel like positives and some negatives. But, "what's meant to be, will be". I ended up at the most amazing university for me, one that without football, I would never have known existed. It has surrounded me with opportunities and people that will be with me for the rest of my life, people I love, and opportunities and experiences that changed my life.
This first book in my life is coming to a close, it was 22 chapters of ups and downs, scene changes, antagonists and protagonists, reoccurring characters, cameos, cliffhangers, and disappointments, with a few sprinkled in happy endings.
As my time in Ada comes to a close I know there are still final pieces to be settled, final pages to be finished. But I am thankful for this 3 stop light village, that was brought to me by football.
I am excited about my next chapter, I can all but guarantee the scene will change, new characters will be introduced, old characters will become part of the past, opportunities and challenges will grow. All of these will be part of the sequel, one that I am now even more confident that I can handle, and help write.
"What's meant to be, will be" But that doesn't mean you can't influence it, or change what you are meant for.
***Disclaimer: Every good story needs an epilogue***
TO BE CONTINUED
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