American football is a popular sport in America, and it is watched by millions of people at the professional level. Growing up, I watched my favorite team, the Packers, play every weekend and was amazed by their skill. I wanted to play football, so my dad signed me up for flag football around age 8. Flag wasn’t my favorite as I was slow at the time and was easily outrun by the other kids. So I stopped playing flag just before we moved. I still watched the Packers play and I admired their green uniforms and yellow helmets. I signed up for tackle football in 6th grade. At the time I was overweight, slow and not very competitive. I hated how tight and uncomfortable that helmet was as I spent my first year on the bench. But this time, my lack of athleticism didn’t motivate me to quit; it motivated me to get better. I worked hard to stay away from unhealthy foods and to get faster. I grew about 6 inches but stayed the same weight over that year. For my birthday, I asked for a new football helmet. I wanted one that was more comfortable and looked cooler. In the 7th grade season, I started. I played hard through the season but I wasn’t satisfied, so I chose to work harder over the next year. I had my best season in 8th grade because of my hard work. Football is my sport and the helmet is just a symbol of my hard work. From the color stains from other people’s helmets to the broken pieces of plastic from getting hit, I will continue to bring it into battle until I am the best.

– Mk.

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