It's a mental game

Many times over the past few weeks, the coaches have emphasized to the players that football is often more of a mental game than a physical one. Today, I think the team won the mental matchup against Brookfield East, and as a result we were able to start the season off with a 13-6 win.

Some examples of our team winning the mental battle:

1. Very few penalties. Brookfield East had a couple of penalties that cost them big plays, even touchdowns. We had fewer penalties, and were able to force Brookfield to jump offside numerous times.

2. Not quitting. We scored our second touchdown with just seconds to go in the first half, when it would have been easy to sit back on our heels and gear up for the 2nd half. Instead, we kept pressing forward, and broke a big run just before halftime.

3. Being prepared for the onside kick. Brookfield attempted an onside kick towards the end of the game, and we gobbled it up with ease because we were mentally ready for it.

4. Extra effort when it matters most. We were able to convert a key 4th-and-short situation in the 4th quarter, which allowed us to run more clock. We were initially stopped short of the first down, but strong blocking and a tough runner allowed us to fight for the extra yardage we needed. Six inches could have made all the difference.

5. Never hesitating. We had a few plays break down initially today, but the players have been coached to never hesitate and to simply react to the situation. This occurred several times today, the most obvious of which was when an extra point had a difficult snap and, rather than allowing the play to end, we immediately picked up the ball and threw it in for the extra point.


It's always nice to get a win, but it's even nicer when your team wins the mental battle. Hopefully this results in some momentum going into next week.

We'll see you Monday for practice...enjoy the rest of your weekend.