Football: Bring it On!
Alistair Brisbourne

Football is perceived by many to be America’s new favorite pastime.  The game of football has probably created the most traditions, caused more pride, and motivated the most people of any sport in America today.  It brings pride and spirit to many schools and that pride carries on in support from fans.  It sets the competitive tone for the whole school and creates a great and powerful binding force; a feeling of ‘belonging’ greater than any other sport.  So, why doesn’t everybody have a football team?  More importantly, why doesn’t Cary Academy have a football team?

Football, like any activity, has pros and cons.  However, the reasons for not having a football team are greater than the reasons for having one.  Though it would be great to have a winning team, the administration is not being irrational in its argument against the team, though.  Football is and extremely physical sport that can, in the blink of an eye, lead to a need for crutches, slings, or even neck braces.  According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, there are approximately 448,000 football-related injuries annually to students under the age of 15. 

Also, starting a team isn't cheap.  Start-up costs for a new team are extremely high, mainly because of liability issues, equipment, and field space.  Yet, are equipment and field space relevant issues?  One can argue this either way.  Every team needs equipment, though football may have more than most other sports.  Most would argue that field space is not a problem.  Most schools share football fields with their soccer teams, such as Ravenscroft.  Perhaps, the clincher for the nay-sayers is ‘who will play’?  Will the excitement of football drain enthusiasm from other fall sports?  Yes.  With the idea that that football may substantially affect other fall sports in mind,  the idea of an eight-man football team has been brought up. An eight-man team may solve the problem, but the other problems remain.

Sadly enough, football players do not hold the respect of the public.  The stereotypical football player is a dumb jock who doesn’t do well in school.  Because of this, many "respectable" schools seem to dodge the sport, even though this negative image is often inaccurate.  One example is Appleby College, a boarding school in Canada, which has a successful football program along with a successful academic program.  The school even has educated such people as Prince Andrew.  The team’s discipline will determine how the players will act and it is all up to the coach to lay down that discipline.

Despite all of the downsides, football has some great qualities. Football can help build community spirit.  It brings people together and gives them something in common.  Fathers take their kids to see their local high school team play and the tradition carries on.  Pride will grow among the players and fans and it will carry to other things in the community.  Inside the school, the pride will carry to other sports and build up stronger teams with more fans.  Football builds great friendships, and motivates and promotes mental as well as physical strength.  As ex-football player Mr. Rokuskie said, “Football helped me get to where I am today”.