Football is an addiction. It will cause you frustration, pain, and stress. Yet many players will still play this sport for a chance at glory and joy. I asked Kenny Couch, a senior who has played since he was young and played all four years in high school, and his responses were inspiring. When asked about why he stuck with the sport all four years despite the rough seasons, he told me he didn’t want to regret not playing, as many other kids do when they graduate. He said that even though the seasons were rough, the thought of victory and potentially a banner kept him going. Seeing the new kids come in and having the same passion he did also inspired him to stay to guide them and pass down as much as he could for the future of the program.

I asked him about his favorite moments and what he would miss the most in the season, and his answer was heartwarming. He told me that he would miss the bonds he made with the team, that that was irreplaceable. He loved getting to teach the new kids and lead them to do better and bring success to Fredericktown in the future.

When you join the team, those people on the field with you aren’t just teammates, they’re brothers. They become your closest friends, and it is a bond that is impossible to break. You will suffer with them, you will win with them, and you will lose with them, but you will stick with them no matter what. Even though the season may come to an end, the memories and bonds made will stay for life.