Football season can be an exciting time to be alive as a teenager, especially for the players on the field, with crowds roaring, trumpets blowing, and flashing lights! Imagine the enthusiasm of Harrison’s football team whenever a game approaches, after countless hours of training and the sole priority of doing the absolute best to portray a positive image on the field. With all this pressure in mind, how difficult is the day-to-day life of a varsity football player? Are they constantly stressed? Or is this the greatest gift they could’ve asked for? No better way to find out than by having Cole Presto and Christian D’Onofrio speak about their experiences on the varsity football team.
Starting with corner back and wide receiver Cole Presto, he speaks about how he feels in relation to being a member of the team his sophomore year. “It feels great. I’m proud that I’m a part of the team. It’s not common to go to varsity without two years of modified experience first, but I worked really hard to make the team so I’m happy it paid off.” Through hard work and dedication, Cole was able to become a varsity football player his sophomore year, but how did he feel playing his first game? “When I was playing my first game, I was nervous, you know, but after getting on the field and touching the ball a few times, I got more comfortable and was able to play confidently.” One of Cole’s most monumental memories, actually he then says, “It’s definitely a big deal for me and my family, they’re really proud of me.” It’s important to remember that even though sports may be overwhelming at times, the HHS community can be a place students gain support.
Being part of a team is like being a part of a second family; teammates can celebrate wins and support each other after mistakes. Especially here in Harrison, a town that can be perceived as friendly, loving, and overall a wonderful place filled with amazing students so there was no surprise when Cole said, “It’s a lot of fun being a part of a great team, especially with great coaches, they’re really important for your success.” This is a statement many athletes could agree with.
The student athlete’s lifestyle can get very busy for a varsity football player with practice for hours daily. How does one manage their schoolwork? How is it possible to keep grades up when there’s barely time for anything else, when all things revolve around football? Seems like Cole has the answer. “Sometimes it’s hard to balance academics with sports but I do it by making sure I complete my homework after practice and studying for tests too. Sometimes when I have time before practice, I go to extra help so I can make sure I understand what’s going on in my classes.” It appears that Cole has a system when it comes to managing his school and his sport. A skill set every student athlete can try so that their sport is always fun and not viewed as a burden or obligation. “I always try to put my academics first because they’re important but I’m good at balancing both.”
So Cole can handle being an academic and athletic student, but how does that affect his mental health? “Football is stressful sometimes… I’m in a good mental state right now. I’m working really hard in practice and school so sometimes it’s overwhelming, but right now I’m doing great.” Athletes can often handle so many different responsibilities and still maintain charismatic energy. People like this are typically the individuals who bring spirit to Harrison High School and prove that anything is capable with the proper determination.
Aside from Cole, it’s more common to have the capabilities required to play for the Varsity football team during one’s junior year rather than sophomore. Nevertheless, Cole was able to reach his goal regardless. For any freshmen who are currently in modified, and aspire to make varsity next year, Cole has advice based on his experiences that could put young athletes on the path to success given the fact that many athletes would concur his teachings. “Definitely work hard—especially during practice you need to make sure you’re doing all the extra things and going farther than everyone else, you need to make sure you’re listening to your coaches because they’re trying to help you and your team—good coaches are very important,” Fortunately, Harrison can be considered blessed to have coaches that leave a positive impact on the school as Cole mentions, like Mr. Ciraco who currently instructs the boys varsity football team. Cole also gave tips on what an effective attitude of a football player can look like. “Always working hard and not being entitled is important too, bringing good energy and effort onto the field, you just need to be yourself and confident in your skills—just always be yourself.It doesn’t matter what people say.”
Cole expressed how proud of himself he was about all he’s accomplished over the last couple of months, being part of the football team. I questioned what he would say to his younger self in response to his current athletic career. “He would definitely be proud of me. I’ve always worked hard towards this. I would tell him to push through injuries. I hurt my back when I was playing modified last year so it caused me to miss my whole season. I was really mad…because I thought I wouldn’t be able to play varsity this year because I missed last year.” Through the pain and the discouragement, he still worked hard in order to be in top shape for football this year. If anything this goes to show that no matter what goal is in mind, it’s accomplishable through a positive mindset and the perseverance to not let obstacles deter from desires, as Cole conveys throughout his interview. “It’s not common without not even one season of modified, I continued to work really hard and trained a lot so I could still play on varsity sophomore year after my injury.” In addition, Cole said “I would tell my younger self to stay positive, don’t listen to the haters and to be yourself, When I was little I had a lot of entitlement but as I got older I realized that you need to work for what you want to accomplish and nothing gets handed to you, so I would tell that to my younger self.” As displayed in the article thus far, Cole can certainly be perceived as knowledgeable when it comes to the questions presented about varsity football whilst being very transparent about his experiences this season.
Moving on to Christian who plays D-tackle, expresses his feelings about playing his last year of football in high school. “It feels different because you know it’s your last year, but you’re a more confident player and you have a higher skill level.” Enjoying the last moments of his high school career, Christian gives a bittersweet response in regards to some of his final moments on the field his senior year. As an upperclassman, Christian already knows how to manage himself and says, “Football isn’t stressful if you enjoy it…the passion for the sport is what makes it fun to try and live in that.¨ Following up, Christian was asked what he would say if he were to have a conversation with his younger self, “I’d tell him to focus on your skills and sports more and train a lot.” A statement directly representing the conclusion of senior Christian D’Onofrio last season.
Being an athlete can be difficult but with the proper motivations players can gain self-confidence and learn valuable life lessons. With all being said, after interviewing members of the HHS varsity football team, it’s clear that football can offer more than an opportunity to develop athletic skills, It can also provide the chance to cultivate a sense of achievement and success while promoting personal growth.
