American Football: An Autumn Tradition Across the USA

It’s Friday night in the United States, and an autumn ritual takes place across the country. Cheerleaders prepare their pom-poms. Members of the marching band warm up their instruments. Teenage boys gather in the locker rooms of sports gyms to put on their protective gear, adjust their cleats, and get ready to step into packed stadiums illuminated by huge floodlights. It’s high school football season, and for many Americans, this is the best season of all. American football (not to be confused with soccer, a 90-minute game played with feet that Americans call “soccer”) is less about the game itself and more about everything it inspires. For the players, it’s about working hard as a team to achieve something that no one person could do. Coaches use the sport as a metaphor for life, with lessons about overcoming obstacles. Fans love the sense of camaraderie that the sport creates, with cheerleaders, dance teams, and band members all present to keep the excitement level high.Decatur High School, Texas: Coach for 25 years, including four of them in Decatur, Mike Fuller works over 90 hours a week to ensure he is providing the best for the athletes. Days start when the alarm goes off at 4 a.m. and often end only after 1:30 a.m. Between the start and end of the day, he studies videos of the opponents his team will face, reviews equipment lists with the other 16 coaches under his command, and ensures his players are keeping up with their schoolwork. “School comes first,” says Fuller, “but most players get better grades during football season because they need to be absolutely focused on everything.” In addition to overseeing drills and practices for the players, Fuller also tries to teach them how to work as a team.Pewaukee High School, Wisconsin: Seth Bickett’s life revolves around American football. The senior stands 6 feet tall and weighs 235 pounds. He started playing ball during elementary school and now plays defense for Pewaukee High School. He tries to break through the opposing team’s defensive line to confront the player holding the ball, who can be the “quarterback,” the main player who has ball control. During the school year, he wakes up at 5 a.m. for morning practice. When classes end at 3:00 p.m., he trains with the team until 6:30 p.m. In the meantime, he is documenting his diet to ensure he is in the best physical shape possible. Malcolm High School, Nebraska: American football features bursts of high-intensity action followed by longer breaks as teams prepare for the next play. Because of this, it may give the impression of being a slow game. There is little doubt that a noisy crowd can keep the energy of the game high and help the players. And let’s acknowledge the role of the cheerleaders. “I love it,” says Samantha Fortik, who has been part of the cheerleading team at Malcolm for four years. The cheerleading squad has about 40 cheers, most of which have been passed down from generation to generation. As captain, Samantha calls out the cheers so that all the cheerleaders know which one to perform.Massillon Washington High School, Ohio: A community that takes high school football seriously is Massillon, Ohio, a city of 32,000 residents, of which 10,000 will likely attend a game. The local hospital gifts newborns with footballs right after birth. “Football unites our city,” says Kathy Catazaro-Perry, the mayor of a city once characterized by the steel industry. Today, Massillon produces potato chips, frozen foods, and bacon, which are distributed to Wendy’s fast-food restaurants. Kathy never misses a game. She has made bets with the mayor of an opposing team’s city. “If we win, the mayor [of the other city] has to wear a Massillon team shirt to a city council meeting. If they win, I have to wear their shirt to one of our meetings,” she says. “We have a lot of fun.”Source: share.america.gov, by Tim Neville