Now I love being in college, there is so much freedom and so many options but no matter what I don't think the love and school spirit for my high school will ever fade.
Back home in Loudoun County, VA, high school football is huge. Currently we've got a pretty good number of players playing college ball, one of which is supposed to be top draft pick for the NFL. So please excuse me if you look on my Facebook and it is littered with videos of Jonathan Allen but it's all very exciting whether you knew him personally or not. In these post you will often notice my little brother is tagged. I do this to help encourage him and to show him the possibilities of where this high school program can get him if he really pursues it.
Recently my baby brother , who is 6'1 and not really a baby anymore, just finished freshmen football. No matter what high school you go to the reality is that none of the students are paying attention to the freshmen team. However, watching my brother playing in the schools shades of blue which I have grown to love made it so it didn't matter that this was just freshmen football. This is the start. The start of passing down the spirit and the pride of high school sports. It's the start of showing what opportunities are out there if only you reach out and grab them.
One day my brother will be wearing a varsity jersey and will be competing at states. I believe that school spirit has a lot to do with what drives a team. In recent years school district lines have been redrawn and shrunken the pool of prospects to create a great high school team. However, it's the heart, spirit and maybe a bit of the cockiness of my high school that the team has been able to maintain its reputation and continued onto a state championship game for a second year in a row.
Today I am just the older sister and an alumni of the school. Although I am growing up this school and it's spirit are with me. It has only gotten better having brother be a part of it. We have never had the same teachers growing up but he has finally entered what I still consider somewhat my territory and I can share with him the people I loved at the school.
The pressure of high school is something I won't miss. Right now though I get to experience the spirit and excitement of it with my brother and that is something I wouldn't trade for the world.
