I was always an active kid, as were my brother and sister. My brother has been playing football since he was probably five or six years old. I would go to his games when I could while still juggling my own sports. However, I never really paid any attention to his games when I went because I didn't understand the rules. This shouldn't have ever been an issue because my dad and brother would spend every Saturday and Sunday watching their favorite teams play on TV.

It wasn't until my senior year of high school (his sophomore year) that I really cared about going to all of his games and trying to figure out why he loved the sport so much.

Granted, I still mostly watched to see him play since I wouldn't be in town to watch him play his last two years of high school football. I loved watching him do what he loved; the same goes for my sister. I never got a grasp on the game until I started going to college games and really watching what was happening on the field and asking people around me to help me understand. Football is such a big part of college culture, and I wanted to be able to understand why I went to the games other than just getting the "college experience" of sitting in the student section and learning the different chants.

I'm in my second year of college now, and fall Saturdays are probably my favorite days. I've finally got a grasp on the different areas on the field, what different penalties are, and how the scoring works. Don't get me wrong, I still go sit in the student section to get the experience, but it's so much more fun to sit down at home to watch the game with friends and family now that I can understand what's happening.

I am still learning some of the rules of the game and why certain things are the way that they are. Being surrounded by people who know what's what on the field has been nothing but helpful, and that's what I love about game day. The sense of community, the willingness of others to help people enjoy the game to their fullest potential. Win or lose, the athletes we go to support are OUR team, and we want them to enjoy playing the game as much as we enjoy watching. Some people just need a little help getting there.

And what can I say - nothing beats the feeling of walking out of the stadium after a big win cheering with the rest of the fans in attendance.