There are some things that hold the power to bring people together, and one of those things is the beautiful game of football. No matter the age, the gender, or where you’re from, it’s more than just a sport; it’s a bonding experience. It’s the best time of the year when the leaves change colors, the temperature drops to a crisp 60 to 70 degrees, and everything is right in the world because football season is back.

It’s the pee-wee age of finally putting on pads for the first time, and even though your helmet looks like it’s the size of your body, it doesn’t matter because you’re on the field. It’s your senior year of high school, coming out of the locker room with all your brothers on a Friday night. It’s the feeling of putting the colors that made you the athlete you are now away after four years and playing in new colors as a collegiate athlete. It’s the feeling of knowing you have your whole city behind you as you play in the pros.

You may think of each of these as the levels of football, however it’s more like a chain reaction. That little boy suiting up in the blank jersey playing in the afternoon goes to that senior’s games and watches in awe with hopes that he’ll be as good as him one day. That senior is getting recruited by the school that collegiate player plays for as he watches him in hopes that he, too, could make it as a collegiate athlete. Finally, the pro football player plays every Sunday in front of thousands of people, not even knowing that there is that college football player watching him dreaming of playing in the pros.

We, as Americans, count down the days until kick-off of football season. We all have our teams that we may know like the backs of your hands. Although being a fan is hard sometimes (shout out to all Browns fans), there’s always the dedication that each of us posses that gives us hope to believe in our teams. As a fan, no, you don’t need to suit up and take hits from 300-pound men, but it is your job to always support your team because in reality, we are all connected in one way: by this beautiful game. So to all of you crazy football fans, grab a beer, order some wings, kick back, and enjoy. I wish the best of luck to your teams this coming season.