I know football is a passionate sport. Seeing NFL players upset after losing a Super Bowl shows all the emotions the sport gives them. Taking pictures on the sideline and being near the players and coaches, I hear the frustration, excitement, and even disappointment.
The game is difficult, but each player has a passion for it, and if they didn’t love the game, they wouldn’t be playing it. I watch NFL games all the time, but I cannot see the players’ hearts for the game. I cannot hear the little conversations the coaches and the players share. Even the players have conversations among themselves. I can listen to the emotion in their voice and based on their faces you can see the emotion on their face.
As I was taking pictures at one of the Wildcat’s games, even after a no-yardage play, I could see the player’s frustration. After the other team’s player had a dirty hit on a wildcat, I can see the anger and frustration because they got hurt. When the other team scores, I can see all sorts of emotions the players go through.
One time I wasn’t even on the sidelines and I saw a player crying to his family because of an injury. Not being able to play the game takes a toll on the players. It also takes a toll on mental health. Not being able to play the game that they love the most because of an injury.
Even getting injured and all the thoughts running through their head; what if I can’t play again, what if I get hurt again, what if the ache never goes away? The game is a constant battle between the players and their minds.
For most of them, football is their dream, they want to make it to the big leagues. Some of them get hurt their senior year and their chances are crushed. Some even get hurt their junior year and it carries on into their senior year.
Seeing how much love and care the players have for the game changes their perspective. Some people may think it’s a bad sport and it’s too aggressive but that’s because they don’t get to experience the love for the game as the players do. Even on the sidelines, the whole team watches each play with careful eyes. The coaches analyze each step; each pass.
Although I’m not on the field, watching the sport made me realize that the game is truly an art. With all the different routes that are ran and different plays that are used. And as the season comes to an end, the team is a team and most of them have played together for a long time. A senior’s last game, losing in playoffs, and getting injured all have an impact on players.
But everything happens for a reason and they all go through these emotions together, they win together, they lose together, and they play together. It’s a feeling only other teams and players will ever understand. Being able to see firsthand the love for this game changed my mindset on the game. I pay more attention while watching games and even catch myself analyzing each play. It’s more than just a high school team, they are a family.
