When I tell people my dream job is to be a sideline reporter or to be a collegiate football recruiter they often give me the "pff, yeah, OK" look, followed by their rolling eyes. It isn't something you hear very often so I understand where they may be coming from, but I do truly love football and not just because of the cute boys, but because of the complexity and the art of it. Many people see football as a mindless game where boys just throw themselves at each other but it is so much more than that. It is a game of skill, talent, analyzation, and it helps to build character and instill fundamental values.
The ability to read what the opposing team may be done in under five second, the ability to perform under pressure, being able to read downfield and the men in front of you to find pockets, and being able to push your body to the absolute limit and then still keep going is a skill unlike any other. I think people often times dismiss girls who claim to love football because we have never played so they think we don't understand what it takes to be an amazing football player or what all goes into playing football in general. I may have never played a day of football in my life but that doesn't mean I am incapable of understanding what goes into it and I most certainly can respect another athlete and their hard work. My love for football is more than just about the game but everything goes into it and the complexity of it.
Football and sports in general help to build character and instill fundamental values. Things such as teamwork, hard work, patience, determination, self-confidence, self-reliance, accountability, punctuation, good sportsmanship, and so many other important values. It transforms boys into men and can genuinely and drastically change people's lives. I have seen it before and that is why I love football so much. Yes, it is a pure adrenaline rush and can create an amazing sense of community and bring together the most diverse group of people but it is so much more than a game.
Maybe it is my desire to help people and to change the world that draws me to football and why I want to work in it, but I do hope to spend the rest of my life working for a football program. I want to bring in recruits and help change their lives by making sure they get a good education, are practicing important values, and am making a difference. I love football because it is more than just a sport and can make a difference in people's lives.
So before you dismiss me because you think I don't know anything about football or that I only watch it for the cute boys, I have studied film, learned plays, I do understand what is going on, I do believe football is an art unlike any other, and I have a passion to help transform athletes and athletic programs, to strive to be the best and help build the best through football.
