As the regualr season of high school and some colleges football seasons draws to an end let me share these few words of wisdow to those finishing up their playing days or those who are considering walking away.

Enjoy the time you have left.  Believe it or not, its been a hella’ve run.  Regardless if you’ve been playing for six years, six months or six weeks I bet you wouldn’t trade that expierence, those memories away.  Sweating it out with your teammates day-in and day-out, daily doubles here daily doubles-there, a hundred degree heat in full pads going a 110% on every down.  Fighting for that starting position and playing time.

I was checking in on my old high school football team, Crater High School to see how they did in their game today and saw it was they’re homecoming and senior night game against Grants Pass High school and it reminded me of the end of my senior season as a football player. 

My senior year of football, it seemed like everything was possible.  Heading into the playoffs fourth ranked in the state of Oregon; 9-1 record; first round bye.  Possible favorites to win state that year in 5A. 

Things were great.  Great momentum.  Just a overall great feeling.

We were playing Bend High School in the second round.  Not thinking that this could be the last few days I could come walking out of the locker room with pads on.  Thinking that we would be winning this game like we did with every other game that season.  Flying high and thinking positive.

We went on to lose that game that faithful Friday night in November by two touchdowns.

Heading back in the locker room the feeling was horrible.  Watching Bend celebrate the win that I thought, that the team thought, we had. 

It was a numbing feeling in that locker room that night, like the wind was knocked outta you. 

Knowing that you just walked off the field for the very last time.  Knowing that you will be peeling off those pads for the very last time.  Knowing that no matter what happens, you won’t be able to go back out to the field to play again.

Wishing that you had more time to play.  Wishing you had a chance to go back and re-do whatever mistakes you made during that game, during that season, during the past several years.

Going back in Sunday to clear out the lockers was the worst cause you and your senior teammates will have to go through those raging emotions again like a teenage love story. 

Everything is slow motioned.  Taking the pads out, putting them into the bag and walking out and eventually turn them in.  Thinking again of the would’ves, could’ves, should’ves of the past year, the past times that could have been.

Looking on the positive side however you can control the way you go out.

Be positive, have fun, go out with a bang.  Do whatever you have to do with the same intensity day out and day in like it was daily doubles all over again.  To go 110% on every play and every pratice.

The most important thing is to leave it all out there.  Do not, I repeat, DO NOT leave a sense of regret that you could have done better because I promise you that you wouldn’t be able to go back to change the thing you might be regretting.

Go out with a sense of urgency, go out with a ball, go out with a bang.

Go out with nothing left to prove to nobody but yourself.