It was only my third football game ever. I was in seventh grade, and I didn’t realize how much the next week would change the way I interacted with one of my favorite sports.
Ready. Set. Hut. I roll out right, throw the ball to my tight end for a short gain, and take a big hit from behind. I try to get back up for the next play, but I can’t. Right away I know something is off.
What happens next remains a blur. I only remember being rushed into my mom’s car, confused about why I couldn’t walk. Next thing I know, I am being wheeled into urgent care and leave with a big cast on my left leg and a pair of crutches.
I had broken my leg. The following week, I could barely move. I was confined to our first floor guest room because I couldn’t climb the stairs to my bedroom. All I could do was sleep, watch Hard Knocks and replay in my head what led up to my painful injury.
For a seventh grader, being alone in the guest room was boring and depressing. My mom worked from home so she kept tabs on me, but I was still wondering what I was missing at school and what my friends were doing. I’ve always had my younger brother around, and when he was at school, I honestly didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t get up without horrible pain. It was easier to stay in bed and watch the next episode of Hard Knocks.
Since I had so much time to let my mind wander, I kept thinking about how I could convince my parents to let me play again next year, not realizing something better was coming.
I knew I was out for the rest of the season, but I still wanted to be involved. So, for the next two months, I stood on my crutches on the sidelines, watching with a mix of frustration and hope.
I wanted to rejoin the team, my friends and the action. One afternoon I looked up and noticed the announcer’s booth. I was curious what it would be like to sit up there and announce the games. The only person up there controlled the scoreboard.
I had watched enough games and knew enough rules to understand what the announcer is expected to know. I love listening to announcers when watching my favorite team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the idea that I could also be an announcer seemed fun.
I proposed my idea to Associate Athletic Director Josh Friesen and he encouraged me to give it a try. The next fall, I nervously announced the 8th grade’s first home game against ESD. I’ve always been shy, so calling a game in front of a crowd of students and spectators felt overwhelming. But, game by game, I started to find a rhythm and confidence. Quickly, I regained my connection to football without having to be on the field.
Moving to the booth wasn’t how I pictured my St. Mark’s football experience, but it was an unexpected bonus that helped me thrive and still be part of the game that I love.
I’ve gone from calling plays on the field to calling them from a booth above the away bleachers. It has become one of the best parts of my athletic journey.
