How does it feel? To have to put away a part of your life you’d never think could end? It’s hard by far and it’s difficult to say goodbye. I know, I’ve been there, with football and track. Football was especially difficult as I had played since middle school, and I was like an overgrown baby when my final game was over as a senior in high school. We had played Eau Claire North (WI) and once that game was over, the seniors were allowed to linger on the field a little longer before heading into the locker room. I gazed across the field one last time before I felt the tears running down my face like a free-flowing river. I didn’t hold my head in shame, but in joy that I had such an amazing career personally, as not many thought I’d stick with it for as long as I did. Though I miss it dearly, not a day goes by that I don’t miss it and wish like time could rewind somehow and I would be allowed to play four more years.

Another issue I dealt with a few times throughout my career was injuries, and how they hampered my life then and even now, as I approach 23 years old. Freshman year, early in the practices of August’s warming sun, I suffered a minor concussion, which forced me to miss a couple days of practice that year, which wasn’t too hard because I knew I had plenty of time left to play my heart out. I had a bum knee most of my high school career, the first two years easily were attributable to “growing pains” as my parents called them, however, once I knew I was done growing by junior year, I felt it was something worse but unsure of what exactly it was. I figured it wasn’t anything serious since I’ve never seen a doctor about it. However, even now, every so often will I have my knee flare up so badly I have to stop what I am doing at the time it flares for it to come and go, sometimes lingering, other times fading as fast as it had come. The second concussion I received from a teammate during a practice in which I told a teammate to go to the sidelines since he said he felt sick, we argued a little, but I told him after this return or two, he could go back in if he wanted. I got lined up and waited for the ball, the ball was punted, though after I caught it, I blacked out for at least 5 minutes because next thing I know, I am on the ground from the incident with a massive headache and from my waist down I couldn’t feel anything from how hard I got hit.

This brings me around to my other idea that perhaps injuries are a main reason why many high school athletes hang them up, and I was one of the millions who did so. I wanted to play college football at UW Stevens Point (WI), but I knew I was just too far removed from organized tackle football as well as my injury history to want to attempt a comeback, and so, with much regret in my heart knowing I could no longer play, I chose to hang them up permanently, only taking out the cleats for recreational football games also known as intramural (IM) football games, however I still go 110% every play knowing that if I can’t play regular football, at least I get to participate in intramurals. The concussion issues seem to have gone away, however I find myself forgetting little things every so often, so that concerns me that my 2nd concussion possibly is the culprit for that, and my knee will continue to bug me until I can better combat it as I get older.

There isn’t much else I would like to say other than thank you to the coaches who coached me, the teachers who pushed me academically, my parents who supported me, and my teammates who played with me for as long as we did together. While I have thanks to give and am appreciative, I do have to say that what the two concussions and the knee issue have done to my body is probably irreparable and that I hate what it continues to do to me on a daily basis, I will never forget the memories I made while playing the sports in high school that I came to love. If there is any piece I would give to a younger me or an 8th grader going into high school sports, it would be that you should cherish every single moment, because any play could be your last, not to scare them, but because one play could be a great play, then the next, you get your bell rung and it’s all over.