Football is back in my life, and I am SO relieved.
My goodness, it has been way too long! I'm also excited to say the least. The football team is looking really good going into the 2018 season. Everyone returning for next season looks as strong as ever. Our speed has been a lot more impressive as of late, too. To fully express how I feel about the Oberlin football team right now, I have to put the famous old quote here: "It's a great day to be a Yeoman, baby!" The offseason still feels like it is taking forever to get through. For the first half of this semester, we had to endure early morning lifts and conditioning. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays were dedicated to lifts, and Tuesdays and Thursdays were dedicated to conditioning. It is pretty nice to see the field again, though. It has been so long since my feet have touched Bailey Field for practice or a game. I was starting to miss football to the point where I would daydream about it in random settings. I would be studying for a politics test, and *BOOM!* something football-related would pop up in my head. I would be lying down in my room, staring at the ceiling for minutes at a time, and thinking about football at night. I would not go as far as saying that I am obsessed with this game, but I would say that it gives me excessive joy when I am out on the field.
Even though I love this game, it gets stressful to deal with at times.
That's just part of being involved in athletics. You are one hundred percent going to have to do something that you don't want to do when you're playing a sport. I believe that millions of athletes all over the world would co-sign that statement. Being an athlete is not an easy lifestyle. It requires a lot of time and sacrifice to be really good at your sport, so it won't be the most pleasant experience to practice all the time. Is it worth it? DUH! That's why athletes are so proud of what they do. With that being said, spring football is not as bad as it is in the fall. If you want to see how crazy THAT gets, click here. The schedule can be somewhat difficult to deal with, though. It isn't overwhelming since we are still in the offseason, but it can be challenging at times. Most student athletes would probably agree with me when I say that our schedules can get hectic.
It's fine, though. Dealing with a hectic schedule is expected of student athletes here at Oberlin.
College athletics are more of a year-long thing than most people think. After their seasons are over, Oberlin athletes still have to wake up early to go work out at times. Lifting and conditioning is most definitely involved during the offseason, and that can get tiring pretty quickly. It becomes a repeated process that isn't the most enjoyable experience. That's just part of the lifestyle, no matter what sport somebody plays. The beauty of offseason is that this time period is where the most growth is made. During the football season, players don't have as much time to work out. Even when we work out during the season, we don't lift as heavy as we do in the offseason. We don't need to be sore before a Saturday game. There's no game to worry about during the offseason.
For additional context, here is how my football schedule works for this week.
On Monday, I have practice at 6:30 A.M. Early Monday mornings are usually the worst, because who likes Mondays, right? I usually get over the earliness after the first thirty minutes of practice. Since Oberlin is a Division III school, we are not allowed to wear any padding. In other words, we're not allowed to hit each other as hard in the spring. Then, I have to meet with my position coach and fellow offensive linemen at 12:30 P.M. to go over film and learn more about the playbook. Meetings are usually enjoyable if you didn't perform horribly on the football field from the morning practice. A lot of good laughs happen in that meeting room. Ahh, team bonding... Anyways, that's all the football I have to deal with on that day. On Tuesday, it's the exact same schedule. Wednesday is a little different, though. Instead of practice, we have two separate lifts at 5:00 and 5:45 P.M. This is a pretty light day for me athletically, so I tend to rest more. The human body needs rest to grow and recover, so why not? On Thursday, we have practice at 6:30 A.M. and a meeting at 12:30 P.M. Yes, it's the exact same as Monday and Tuesday. Times get pretty repetitive after a while. When Friday arrives, I will be extremely happy. Fridays provide a different type of energy than any other day of the week, so working out at 5:00 or 5:45 isn't as bad. In fact, Friday lifts make the day even better. That's my entire week of football this week. That does not include the classes I have to go to, the talks I attend, meetings outside of football, study time, and more.
I'm currently a sophomore, so this is my second time enduring this schedule. I'm still getting used to it.
This next statement goes out to everybody who feels stressed out about feeling overworked: it's okay to feel tired! Being tired is a human quality. That just means you have to dedicate more time to sleep. I know, I know. Sleep? In college? Pshhh, okay. There's a way to get a healthy eight hours in. You just have to be really good with time management. Remember, if you feel too stressed, it's okay to relax. Mental health will always be one of the most important parts of your life. Take care of yourself. Use your willpower whenever you have to perform well, and that applies to anything. It could be studying for a test, practicing for a sport, or playing an instrument. Your will always find a way to expand the horizons of your life. Another piece of advice: make sure you have a friend group within the activities you are involved in. I promise it will make your life so much easier.
I'd like to end this post by expressing my immense pride for my team and my school here: It's a GREAT day to be a Yeoman, baby. Go Yeo!
