In the three and a half seasons I have played football, morale has never been lower. Until last week, I had never really thought about quitting, let alone seriously considered it.

I have never missed a practice, despite three shoulder dislocations and a previous back injury. I am a captain, so committment is expected. But when even the captains are no longer excited to play, football can take a dramatic turn for the worst.

Losing games is certainly discouraging, but that is hardly the only factor in the team’s current attitude.

From Monday to Friday we play football. We fight through bad knees, injured backs and strained muscles. We finish six hours of school only to crawl through another four hours of football. Theoretically, it’s all supposed to pay off on Friday night.

Our 2-4 record indicates otherwise. We have lost at least one player each game to injuries, only to watch the win slip through our fingers once again.

When only 13 healthy varsity players suit up for practice, it becomes difficult to cultivate a spirit of competition. While other teams have the numbers necessary to hone their skills, we are forced to develop our game using coaches or JV players to fill empty spots.

At this point I am so discouraged that I do not even want to talk about football, let alone play it. So why do we keep going? I think every one of us has our own reasons that keep us coming out to the field every day.

For me, I love the physicality of the game. I have played just about every other sport, and none of them compare. I love the fact that in football every part of myself is required.

Another reason that I will not quit is because I would never leave my teammates behind. We have spend entire seasons together; some of us have been on the same team for three and a half years now. This camaraderie keeps me committed in times like these when nothing else does.

One thing, however, is true for all of us. Deep down we all know that this is life. We are learning how to take a hit, get back up and do it again. We know that now is the time we decide how we will live, so we cannot just give up.

It is hard to get any sympathy, talking to teachers and other adult friends. Mr. (Greg) Stobbe, for instance, expressed much the same sentiment about his job. He said sometimes he wants to just give up teaching. Often he feels like he is not making a difference or the kids do not want to learn. Yet he keeps coming to work, day after day.

Football is an extra-curricular activity. No one is forcing us to do it; there will still be food on the table if we were to walk away today. Even so, I do not think there is a difference between football and the rest of life.

After 18 years of dealing with life’s hardships, I have begun the learning process. There are times when my teammates and I just want to give up–times when nothing is going our way. There are times when we pour everything we have into something, and we do not get anything back.

I can remember talking with Mr. (Lonnie) Godfrey two years ago in math class. He would get mad at me because he thought I spent too much time on football. One day I responded by telling him that football was just as important as school. I told him that I learn just as much, if not more, than I do from his class.

To this day I maintain that same stance. School may teach me how to count atoms or write essays, but football teaches me how to keep going. It teaches me that sometimes we have to just gut it out. Sometimes we will win, sometimes we will not, but quitting never got anyone anywhere.

The exciting thing about life is things can change in a heartbeat; we beat Farmersville in over-time on Friday and I’ll be at practice on Monday.