Your potential is our passion.
Why High School Football Matters
By Shane Lopes, LBS Dean of Students & Head Coach of Laguna’s 8-man Football Team
Each year, over 1 million Americans play high school football. This is roughly twice the amount of participants in the second ranked sport of track and field. Yet, because of recent research on NFL players’ head injuries, scrutiny of the game has intensified. It is as if the very mention of football triggers the thought of the word “concussion.” For the record, Laguna’s football team incurred zero football-related concussions this past season.
The purpose of this article is to shed light on the transformative benefits of playing high school football.
To keep anonymity, I will tell a true story about a football player and refer to him as Jay.
Jay’s dad left when he was a baby and Jay’s mom was absent because of addiction. A typical teenager searching for his identity, Jay was not a great student and he lacked confidence. He did, however, do his own shopping, laundry, and cooked his own meals. He also lived alone, which no one at school even knew. Fortunately, Jay had football.
The football program welcomed Jay and did not discriminate against him based on talent or wealth. There were no tryouts or fees for joining the team. Anyone was welcome to play.
For Jay, football provided structure. Practices were always Monday-Thursday at 3:30pm, games were always on Fridays at 7:00pm, and films were always on Saturdays at 9:00am.
Football taught Jay the importance of commitment. Off-season training began in January and continued through the last week of August. Missing a workout or a practice was never an option, even if a player was sick or injured.
Football provided a strong sense of purpose for Jay. He felt like he belonged to something important, something bigger than himself. Teammates relied upon him and in turn, Jay relied upon his teammates.
Football taught him how to be resilient. When Jay was knocked down, he was expected to get back up. Despite being in pain or even injured, he learned to persevere.
From football, Jay learned the importance of delayed gratification. Out of the nine months of training and practices, there were only 10 guaranteed games. After those games, Jay experienced the sweet feeling of victory and the bitter taste of defeat. He learned that hard work is worth it, even when things do not go according to plan.
Most importantly, football gave Jay a healthy outlet where he learned to take risks and believe in himself and others.
The truth is, football does have risks. But, the football community has made significant progress in making the game safer with new rules, better equipment, and safer drills. I have had the privilege of working with over 1,000 football players and not one has ever expressed regret for joining the team. Football has significant benefits for developing personal skills that transfer to life. Ironically, though, one cannot fully understand the value of football until they have taken the risks.
FOOTBALL INFORMATIONAL MEETING FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 9-11 TAKES PLACES ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12 AT 10:25AM IN SPAULDING THEATRE.
For details, contact Coach Lopes.
Back
Each year, over 1 million Americans play high school football. This is roughly twice the amount of participants in the second ranked sport of track and field. Yet, because of recent research on NFL players’ head injuries, scrutiny of the game has intensified. It is as if the very mention of football triggers the thought of the word “concussion.” For the record, Laguna’s football team incurred zero football-related concussions this past season.
The purpose of this article is to shed light on the transformative benefits of playing high school football.
To keep anonymity, I will tell a true story about a football player and refer to him as Jay.
Jay’s dad left when he was a baby and Jay’s mom was absent because of addiction. A typical teenager searching for his identity, Jay was not a great student and he lacked confidence. He did, however, do his own shopping, laundry, and cooked his own meals. He also lived alone, which no one at school even knew. Fortunately, Jay had football.
The football program welcomed Jay and did not discriminate against him based on talent or wealth. There were no tryouts or fees for joining the team. Anyone was welcome to play.
For Jay, football provided structure. Practices were always Monday-Thursday at 3:30pm, games were always on Fridays at 7:00pm, and films were always on Saturdays at 9:00am.
Football taught Jay the importance of commitment. Off-season training began in January and continued through the last week of August. Missing a workout or a practice was never an option, even if a player was sick or injured.
Football provided a strong sense of purpose for Jay. He felt like he belonged to something important, something bigger than himself. Teammates relied upon him and in turn, Jay relied upon his teammates.
Football taught him how to be resilient. When Jay was knocked down, he was expected to get back up. Despite being in pain or even injured, he learned to persevere.
From football, Jay learned the importance of delayed gratification. Out of the nine months of training and practices, there were only 10 guaranteed games. After those games, Jay experienced the sweet feeling of victory and the bitter taste of defeat. He learned that hard work is worth it, even when things do not go according to plan.
Most importantly, football gave Jay a healthy outlet where he learned to take risks and believe in himself and others.
The truth is, football does have risks. But, the football community has made significant progress in making the game safer with new rules, better equipment, and safer drills. I have had the privilege of working with over 1,000 football players and not one has ever expressed regret for joining the team. Football has significant benefits for developing personal skills that transfer to life. Ironically, though, one cannot fully understand the value of football until they have taken the risks.
FOOTBALL INFORMATIONAL MEETING FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 9-11 TAKES PLACES ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12 AT 10:25AM IN SPAULDING THEATRE.
For details, contact Coach Lopes.
Publications
Community
Laguna Blanca is Santa Barbara’s premier private, co-educational, college preparatory day school for students in Early Kindergarten through Grade 12.