Stuck Between Two Options

[DonRotolo]

Good question, and I have thought about it many times since then (over 30 years ago).

I probably would not play if I was given the choice again. I did play intramural touch football in college, for the fun of the game, but there nobody cared how good you weren't. Not playing didn't improve my career outlook, probably as much as playing wouldn't have improved it either. I'd like to say that instead of football, I devoted my extra time to better grades, but I did not. Should've.

I guess the message is that you need to do what's right for you. Talk it out with someone, just to make sure your thought process is rational when someone else hears it. Doesn't have to be the coach, but someone who knows you and is trusted to give you honest opinions and not just what you want to hear.

In the big scheme of things, it's not a life-changing event, but put in some effort to validate the decision, that way you'll have no regrets.

Did I make the right choice? I still think so, but I'm not 100% sure, never will be.

[rcmolloy]

I hear what you're saying Don. I know the Pi-oneers are very lucky to have you as a mentor and listen to what students have to say.

With that said, I believe that I am not going to play football and focus on me. That is something I have never completely done before. I have devoted my time to something that I never truly wanted to be apart of in the first place. I am going to stop my football career and take the internship for the enviornmental engineering company. Sure I will miss football but I am apart of one of the greatest sports ever created in human history, FRC.

Thanks to all of you especially Don. One reason why I love the community here, the support you all provide is endless.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Robert,
Congratulations on growing up to be a thinking and responsible individual. It certainly seems like you have covered all the alternatives. Your decision is going to change your life, be prepared. Your friends will change, you may feel different looking at the football field from the stands, you may even take some heat from the team. My best advice is whatever your choice, do your best. Know that some things are hard but it is the hard that makes them great. (OK I am borrowing movie lines here.) If it was easy, everybody would be doing it. Good luck in the future with the internship and college. I can't wait to hear back in a few years that you have succeeded and moved into something really special. There is a lot ahead of you but you seem like you are on the right trail. Good Luck!

[Andy Baker]

Originally Posted by rcmolloy

With that said, I believe that I am not going to play football and focus on me. That is something I have never completely done before. I have devoted my time to something that I never truly wanted to be apart of in the first place. I am going to stop my football career and take the internship for the enviornmental engineering company. Sure I will miss football but I am apart of one of the greatest sports ever created in human history, FRC.

It still seems like you are torn on this decision. You will miss football, but you never truly wanted to be a part of it in the first place.

What part of it will you miss? Is it the camaraderie? Is it the contact (blocking, tackling, etc.)? Is it the pressure-filled game situation?

The reason I ask is this:

Football is a very unique sport. You will never have this chance again, to play football in a full-contact, team setting. Never will you be able to run full speed at another guy, drive him back 10 feet, put him on his butt, and then offer your hand to him to pick him up. Never will you be able to grab a ball, lower your shoulder and run completely through another guy, knocking him down as people cheer. Football is a strange thing, where people do things (safely, for the most part) on a playing field while others would be jailed for these same actions.

This is your senior year. Unless you would seek out a small college or a semi-pro team, this is your last chance to do this.

So, it all depends on why you like (or liked) football. That is why I asked what you would miss above.

I played football in high school and college, and even started during my junior year in college. For my senior year, I decided to study in England during the fall semester instead of playing football. My priorities changed and I chose not to play (our coach was an idiot, which did not help the situation). After college, I played two years of semi-pro football, until I realized that this is silly and I needed to grow up.

You need to consider that this will be your last chance to play this sort of football. You will have the rest of your live to pursue other things, including internships and opportunities to advance your technical prowess.

Go back to Don's suggestion regarding talking to someone about this. Maybe one of the assistant coaches or someone related to the team in a support function would be a good person to talk to. Of course, if you talk to the head coach, that would be a good thing to do.

Best of luck with your decision. If you don't play, that may be a good decision, but I just wanted to bring some other things to light.

Sincerely,
Andy Baker

[JamesBrown]

The only advice I have for you is to make up your mind before the season starts. If you decide not to play football and instead to find a job then no one (your coaches included) will have a problem with that. However if you put off the decision and get to the point where coaches and team mates are counting on you during the season then you put your self in a tough place, even if your heart is not in it people are counting on you.

Originally Posted by Andy Baker

What part of it will you miss? Is it the camaraderie? Is it the contact (blocking, tackling, etc.)? Is it the pressure-filled game situation?

The reason I ask is this:

Football is a very unique sport. You will never have this chance again, to play football in a full-contact, team setting. Never will you be able to run full speed at another guy, drive him back 10 feet, put him on his butt, and then offer your hand to him to pick him up. Never will you be able to grab a ball, lower your shoulder and run completely through another guy, knocking him down as people cheer. Football is a strange thing, where people do things (safely, for the most part) on a playing field while others would be jailed for these same actions.

That is where rugby fits in to my life.

[rcmolloy]

I am not necessarily torn on the decision, I am weighing the options and have both at a really close level. If any of you didn't know already, I was offered an engineering job where my mom is going to work in June. I forgot to mention that awhile back. I think that might make your decisions a little bit different.

Just an update though, I am currently talking to my coaches about it. One assistant coach, who deems me as his favorite, said that I should go forth with it because it will help me so much more in my life. He also stated the coaching staff would agree with him completely. Then, he stated that I could definitely help the team out with Friday nights and be in the atmosphere. I am still choosing on my decision but know that he wanted me to take the engineering job .