This is the end of the high school football season for the ‘last born’. He is struggling this season, having been benched following an injury and becoming part of a rotating secondary, which means that he splits time with a starter. He is only a sophomore, but he developed serious playtime expectations based on how he started the season. I am glad he was benched. The one thing I’ve learned about my kids–about athletes in general–is that a great deal of the game is mental. It is manifesting will and toughness. Getting benched either breaks you (in which case, you don’t deserve the opportunity to lead a life playing a game) or it builds resolve in you to be a better player and earn a spot that cannot be taken from you. My Drake kid has that. He was a twelve year-old kid playing High School football and being told he didn’t deserve to be out there. He was undersized. He was unsure of what position he could even excel at. He figured he would at least be a kicker, but they wouldn’t even let him do that. His big brother was like that too, and he decided that football was not his jam. Yet my Drake Bulldog excelled under the pressure. Now he’s battling 5th year seniors for a starting spot as a 17 yr old freshman, and he wants that fight.
He has that dog in him. We are waiting to see if the High Schooler does too.
Freshman football is a sham. If you have a well developed skillset or a physical advantage, you will excel. It isn’t a mental game as with the higher levels. At the freshman level, he was Travis Hunter. He led the team in scoring and in interceptions and PBUs. He gave up a catch once. It was surprising. He was unguardable from the X or the Z. His route tree was more like a sapling, but he could run a hitch or a hitch and go like a demon. Now he is a sophomore. He is facing that test of playing against some of the best in the state. He has to get better. He has to decide that it is worth it to suffer and struggle, and that is what ultimately makes you strong.
Here’s hoping tonight is a step forward, and the coming off season is another.