Life lessons from football

[Artos]

so you had no real interest in hearing opinions of that it would depend on the individual & their particular time/moments?? Your op now seems a bit disengenious amigo?? I also never thought such a thread would become so rabid like hf/lf?? Awkward...

It's really not that big a deal...I have friends from the team who ended up in the naval acedemy, fortune 500 co's, jail, deadbeats, now dead et al.


what a waste of bandwith...

[CaptainDave]

I get a kick out of those who elevate the importance of football...even use their old high school jersey number for screen names, etc. Get over it. It is a game.

I loved team sports and believe one can learn some things from them...but no more than they can learn from other group participations.

Life lessons from football? It's overrated. You don't need to play football to learn life lessons!

I know many folks, who never played football, who have more discipline, dedication, drive, and all those other things people say it teaches you, than some who played.

Good post.

I played football through highschool and learned a lot about teamwork, discipline, accountability, etc. You missed an assigment, people got into your face and you were held accountable.

However, on another note, I also used to date a girl that was in the marching band. Believe it or not, it was the same type of deal, just not a sport. Although each memeber had individual assignments, they had to work as a team to accomplish their goals. Individual mistakes could make the whole group pay for it. I didn't really understand that until she explained to me what all went into it.

At the end of the day, I believe it's essential that kids should be involved in some type of team sport or activity. However, football is not the only one that can do this.

[Abcdj]

All sports are great lessons for life whether team or individualistic ones.
I have been a player or coach from age 11 till today.
Here are some thing's that have stuck with me over the years.
These are simple and goofy but that's what sticks with me.

Always do what's right!
The mental is to Physical as 3 is to 1!
Pride is concerned with who is right. Humility is concerned with what is right!
You never know how good a watermelon or a person is till they get thumped!
One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it's worth watching!

I have been fortunate to have been coached by and coached with good people.
I have had the fortune to coach a lot of great players.

Thanks for all the lessons y'all taught me over the years.
Still learning something most everyday at 53.

[JW21]

I learned that chicks in college don't care that you played ball in high school

LMAO!!! so true. i wore my ring for about mmmmm 3 days lol

[rjet]

The only life lesson I learned from playing football I have not had to use since I played football but it was a very important lesson.

Lesson being:
When taking a shower with a bunch of dudes, take a shower next to the guy with the smallest weiner.
Is an ego booster.

[ByronB]

Good post.

I played football through highschool and learned a lot about teamwork, discipline, accountability, etc. You missed an assigment, people got into your face and you were held accountable.

However, on another note, I also used to date a girl that was in the marching band. Believe it or not, it was the same type of deal, just not a sport. Although each memeber had individual assignments, they had to work as a team to accomplish their goals. Individual mistakes could make the whole group pay for it. I didn't really understand that until she explained to me what all went into it.

At the end of the day, I believe it's essential that kids should be involved in some type of team sport or activity. However, football is not the only one that can do this.

LOL. Glad you brought up the Band. I was never in band nor have my kids been. However, has anyone ever stopped to watch a High School Band practice during the summer???? They work harder and more hours than most football teams do. (football is sanctioned of course) I have a whole new respect for these kids. Talk about teamwork and communication skills.

[TxAg]

How much you wanna make a bet I can throw a football over them mountains?... Yeah... Coach woulda put me in fourth quarter, we would've been state champions. No doubt. No doubt in my mind.

[dc1211]

It's basketball season!

[bklem]

so you had no real interest in hearing opinions of that it would depend on the individual & their particular time/moments?? Your op now seems a bit disengenious amigo?? I also never thought such a thread would become so rabid like hf/lf?? Awkward...

It's really not that big a deal...I have friends from the team who ended up in the naval acedemy, fortune 500 co's, jail, deadbeats, now dead et al.


what a waste of bandwith...

You and I need to share a campfire sometime. I always find myself agreeing with you.

[Hot4huntin]

I guess my story is a little different... I played sports from age four until my late 20's. Softball, volleyball, tennis, baseball, basketball, track...not only women's, but coed and men's softball and USVBA volleyball, different leagues, different towns. It taught me teamwork, trust, strength, confidence, dedication and perseverance. I made lots of friends!! I only played lot football and powerpuff and broke my wrist in powderpuff. Sports made me a stronger person... this bullying thing going on in schools...I was picked on but dang sure rose above it. My parents provided alot of support and my dad made all of my volleyball games no matter how far!!

Now my son played football and he learned discipline, teamwork and it also lifted his self confidence. It showed him he had to try to succeed and kept his grades up to participate. He played from 7-10th grade. I think it also brings family and friends closer because they came to support him which also lifts kids' confidence and provides time with the family.

My daughter wanted to play 7th grade football. She was tiny for her age. Her dad discouraged it and I could have gone either way, but she didn't push it. Even sought advice from a TBH coach. Fast track to 8th grade, Hunter grew about 3-4 inches and weighed about 100 pounds. She shows me an email that she sent to the coach and his reply that he would like to have her on the team. She had several of her guy friends ask her to play and she took it on herself to ask the coach first. All of her coaches were amazing and invited her and encouraged her to play! I told her at the begining that there would be those that supported her and others that would oppose her playing a guys' sport and that she needed to be ready to deal with both and expect to get hit hard by opposing teams. She had to take the good with the bad. She was. She tried her best, never complained, never asked for privileges (except a separate changing place ) gave 110% in practice including Pearle Harbors and usually came in at the top of most practices. She never asked to be treated differently and went out of her way to help bring in the water and clean up the field. Heck, she started a week late and then she fainted at the first practice and was out there the next day. Then she fainted for the first day in pads and helmet and stayed to watch practice. Football players are tough. She did earn the respect from most of her teammates and all the coaches and made lots of friends. It built her self confidence, humbled her a little and she learned perseverance, dedication and teamwork. Plus she is in great shape for track!!! Again, the extended family, her brother and his friends, etc., brought everyone closer together and helped build bonds.

Was I worried about my kids on the field, sure. I believe you should live life to the fullest and safely as possible, but that does not mean that I am going to keep them in a glass bubble. Life's experiences are what makes the journey in life. As long as you try and do the right thing, take responsibility when you don't and learn from and own up to your mistakes, life will be good. Your experiences are what you make them and what you take from them.

Personally, I do not think that I or my children would have turned out to be the same people we are if we had not had sports and football in our history. That's all I got...

[ExtremeHunter80]

I read quite a bit through most of this thread, and don't know if I'm the only one that realized this growing up or not (I only graduated in 2008 bear in mind). But our coaches instilled the biggest life lesson of all in us. The top four priorities:
1. Faith, it should be your number one priority of all.
2. Family
3. School/Job
4. Football or whatever else you care about.

The school never taught us about faith. And my parents weren't the most church going people at the time when I was younger. But they tried to instill that faith was a priority in us. I'm sure that's a Texas thing. And the only other thing I remember that hasn't been mentioned; is a quote that was given to us once a year during Thursday night meetings by Theodore Roosevelt which pretty much sums up the game:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

[krisw]

You and I need to share a campfire sometime. I always find myself agreeing with you.

so you had no real interest in hearing opinions of that it would depend on the individual & their particular time/moments?? Your op now seems a bit disengenious amigo?? I also never thought such a thread would become so rabid like hf/lf?? Awkward...

It's really not that big a deal...I have friends from the team who ended up in the naval acedemy, fortune 500 co's, jail, deadbeats, now dead et al.


what a waste of bandwith...

Awesome, I will make sure I check with both of yall before I post next time. Since it seems as though you are giving permission. I was asking a simple question that stemmed from the previous thread about letting kids play organized football. Plenty of people in that thread, and this one, have gone around saying that there are lessons that you can learn ONLY FROM FOOTBALL. And I am wondering what they are. Because as yet, I havent seen one. Unless you count learning to play football. Teamwork, discipline, toughness, preparedness, and so on can all be learned and are also learned from other places. Once again, literally billions of people in the world have learned these things and never touched a football.

I realize a lot of people played the game and enjoyed it, myself included. I'm not knocking it. Someone's experience can color their perception, and football may be where they learned those lessons. I am asking for the ones that won't be learned without playing football.

There's nothing rabid about this discussion either.

[Artos]

no worries amigo...i had to circle back & see where you were coming from. Pretty clear your sport crushes lie in the other bb sports.

When your lower level hs coaches make as much as the fb coach, lmk...i think that says alot in itself as far as perspective or scale. I still believe it comes down to what your wired for & engauged with, but it's hard to argue that fb is the most intense for most of the U.S. anyway as far as spectator participation.

Most of my co-workers in mex care nothing for the superbowl this weekend & watching soccer on tv is like golf & bb to me...cool to watch in person, but otherwise good napping sports.

[krisw]

I still believe it comes down to what your wired for & engauged with, but it's hard to argue that fb is the most intense for most of the U.S. anyway as far as spectator participation.

I agree. I think it is magnified in Texas.

[kennyelp]

I'm shocked at some of these responses here and on the other thread. No wonder the horns are so soft.

Wow , the complete wussifaction of the USA if you don't believe football doesn't teach young men what it takes to be tough and strong, and see things through ie:see what it take to serve in the Military, and serve our country.