A lot of people always talk about the important role that high school sports played in shaping their lives and their characters. There are countless movies on the strength of teams and the trails that athletes travel for their sport, and having been a varsity athlete throughout high school, I can definitely agree with these testaments. My story is a little different though, because the lessons I learned best, and the sport that shaped my character the most, were not any of the ones I actually participated in but the one singular sport I was on the sideline crew for.

I grew up in a family dedicated to the sport of football. My dad played in high school and longs for the day when my younger brother will tie up some cleats. My uncle went to play at Utah, and countless numbers of my cousins grew up with a ball in their hands. My sophomore year of high school, my cousin took over as the head coach of my school’s team, and all the family rallied together to make a great program just like they did when they were attendees of that school. All these men dedicated their lives and love to the sport of football. And I dedicate my love to them. Even from a young age I looked up to them all and could only dream of being a part of their football world, and finally my junior year came, and I got the chance to join the family business. The start of my junior year I joined the BHS football crew as the team photographer and loved every minute. The boys welcomed me into their world with open arms and became my brothers, too, even though I did not battle out on the field with them under the lights every Friday night.

My view into the world of high school football taught me more about myself and about character than I ever learned on the field, during practice, or playing the “girl’s” sports I actually lettered in. Football taught me to truly value loyalty and dedication. Not everyone on the team is going to be strong or fast or maybe even athletic, but that does not have to hold them back from helping the team. Even if you are weak, you should not give up, because that obviously is not going to make you better, and quitting will not help your team. Even the smallest guys can have an impact, because if they get knocked down all practice every practice they can motivate the others by getting back up. Fall down seven times, stand up eight. That is the loyalty and dedication each player is required to show if they want to survive the life of football. And that is the loyalty and dedication everyone should show when they commit to something in life. Football taught me that life is not easy, and things will not be handed to you, but when times get tough, you need to keep going.

My time under the lights taught me a lot about what it means to be a leader, and not just any leader, but a good leader, a true captain. My two seasons with the team brought many different styles of captains, but the best ones had something in common: their desire for the betterment of the team. A true leader is someone who works hard to set a good example and point their team in the right direction even if they will not personally achieve glory for their work. A good leader is selfless; they are not in it for themselves, they are in their position to make a positive difference.

Most important of all, football taught me the true meaning of family. I witnessed everyone in my immediate family, and the players’ immediate families, and the community itself come together for this team, and it was nothing less than beautiful. Football is blind to race, it is blind to religious beliefs, and it is blind to ethnicity, because those things do not affect football, like they should not affect our relationships with other people. I learned that family is not just the people biologically related to you, it is the people who have your back and will support your dreams. I have also learned to value a sector of family known as brotherhood. The final game of my senior year was tough, no one wants to end their season on a loss; when you truly love something like these boys love football, you want to go all the way until you fully accomplish what you set out to do. For them of course, it was to win a state title, and unfortunately we fell short of making it to the game where they would get the opportunity for play for it. Yes they all cried, but the thing about brotherhood is that they all cried. The freshmen, the coaches, the seniors, the boys that did not even play, they all felt something after that final game. The season was over after that, there were no more practices, no more pasta dinners or Chiefsteaks, and for many of the seniors, no more football. No one wanted all this to end, I didn’t even want it to end even though that meant I was closer to my paycheck, but that is the beauty of brotherhood. Brotherhood is not just boys wearing the same uniform on a field, it is working hard for the person next to you, cheering along with them when they do well, and more importantly, picking them up when they are down. Brotherhood is giving your all, all the time, and it is being able to turn towards those around you and know that they are giving the same. Brotherhood is stronger than blood, stronger than every type of relationship I have ever seen. It can be tested, but brotherhood can never be broken. I am beyond thankful that I got the chance to not only see but experience the strength of brotherhood in its purity… in football.

And that is what I learned from the sidelines that I never learned out on the field.