The All-American sport of football poses significant challenges for a small school such as FC. Even large public high schools have begun to see a drop in the number of students participating in the sport. Concerns of parents and players range from the large time commitment required, affect on academic performance and the fear of serious injury.
The average public high school will field 80 players for the varsity team, composed of mostly juniors and seniors, and a junior varsity team made up of another 80 players, bringing the total number of athletes in the football program to around 160.
The total enrollment of FC is close to 200 students this year, attaining a roster that is even close to an average public school football program is simply insurmountable. Numbers are not the only challenge posed by the sport.
The nature of football is physical contact, so naturally injuries are much more common here than in other sports. Even a routine play can land a player on the disabled list. Unfortunately, FC’s own Rick Morrison ’15, experienced the volatility of football.
Morrison was injured at practice on Tuesday, Aug. 19 when a routine tackle sprained his ankle. Morrison described the affects of the injury both physically and mentally.
“I am definitely in pain daily,” Morrison said. “I feel a sharp shooting type of pain in my ankle every time I try to take a step. I haven’t been able to walk on two feet sense it was broken. I really wish I could get back out there. I just want to be on the field with my teammates.”
Athletes rarely expect to be dealt an injury during a game or practice. When the injury comes to mind is usually when they return to the field. A slight hesitation or apprehension may develop due to fear. Morrison does not feel that he will be held back when he returns.
“I don’t feel like I will be affected by worry when I return.” Morrison said. “I just want to fast forward and move past it. When I can finally run again I’m going to run longer and harder than I ever have before.”
Morrison’s teammates have all been affected by his injury. The team will be without their starting quarterback for the beginning of the season. The coaching staff has been working tirelessly to devise a strategy to get the season back on track.
In 2012 John Dooman ’15 was in the midst of FC’s battle against Immanuel high school under the lights on a Friday night. The crowd and both teams witnessed a horrific injury at the expense of Dooman’s left knee.
Getting hurt is a part of all sports, not just football. As a volleyball coach, I have seen players injure themselves doing things as simple as jumping. I myself have been injured while playing other sports that require no contact.–Jon Penberthy, Co-athletic Director
“When it happened I heard and felt a loud pop throughout my body,” Dooman said. “Then I tried to move my leg and I couldn’t. The worst pain was in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. That’s when I realized what had happened.”
Dooman’s injury sidelined him from football during the 2013-2014 season. He planned to return for this season, but his knee did not hold up during the pre-season practices. Dooman decided that his future physical well being will require him to quit the sport.
“I realized that my body is more important than football.” Dooman said. “I have to preserve what I have left if I want to be active when I’m older.”
When an injury occurs the disabled player is not always the only one affected by it. Teammates that witness the gruesome sight do not forget what their comrade said or wailed while laying on the field in pain.
Julian Castro, ’17 witnessed Morrison’s injury and heard his agony.
“I’ve never been injured severely while playing football,” Castro said. “I’m very grateful for that. When I saw Rick go down I was worried, I could tell he was in definite pain and it made me think what the rest of our season is going to look like and what our starting lineup is now.”
This year FC’s athletic administration has a new face, Jon Penberthy, he was named co-athletic director along with Mick Fuller this school year. Penberthy recognizes parents and students concerns about a contact sport like football.
“Getting hurt is a part of all sports, not just football,” Penberthy said. “As a volleyball coach, I have seen players injure themselves doing things as simple as jumping. I myself have been injured while playing other sports that require no contact.”
The man in charge of everything football at FC is Mick Fuller, Fuller has been the football coach at FC for three years. Fuller recognizes that football is one of the most unpredictable sports in existence but believes life lessons can be extrapolated from the game.
“Several players on the team had to overcome the fear of getting hurt or hurting others.” Fuller said. “We talked about this as a team and the boys have come to realize that hesitation or lack of effort is more detrimental to the team than practicing hard and playing smart.”
Football is a contact sport and there will always be injury involved while playing. Precautions and safety are of high priority in all football programs, including FC.
The Eagles will kick off the season against Orcutt Academy on Aug. 29 in Orcutt, Ca at Ernest Righetti High School.
The writer can be reached via Twitter @2015Beal. Follow The Feather via Twitter: @thefeather.
For more sports, read the Aug. 21 article Volleyball sport shorts: Laton
