What Football Means to Me {A Dad’s Perspective}

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what football means to me a dads perspective football shaped the man i am today future for footballI want to share what football means to me from a dad’s perspective. Football helped shape the man I am today. The sport has been a staple in my life from the day I was born. As a little kid growing up, I remember watching the Dallas Cowboys because all of my family members were Cowboys fans. When I entered the third grade, I started playing peewee football as the quarterback. Naturally, that caused me to start idolizing NFL quarterbacks, and that was when I became a Dolphins fan. I wanted to be exactly like Dan Marino. He was, if not the best, one of the best quarterbacks in the league at the time.

When playing peewee football, as a kid, you do not think about the wear-and-tear on your body. While yes, I loved playing the game, it took a toll on my body that I’m feeling now at the age of 37. So when people ask me if my boys will play the game, my response is that I will not start them out that early in the same type of football I did. Thankfully, there’s never been a better time to play football. There have never been more options to play and/or be involved with the game. It doesn’t have to be tackle. There are other forms growing in popularity like flag football, touch football, modified football, co-ed football, etc. All of it is good! You just have to choose which type is best for your family.

football shaped the man I am future for football dayton ohioAnd while yes, the wear-and-tear has had a long-term effect physically, football more importantly taught me various lessons/values that I still carry to this day. The first being dedication and perseverance; I apply that not only to my personal life but also to my professional life. If you want to be the best, you must be willing to put in the time. That means long hours on and off the field (being there for your family or your job is not always necessarily going to be a 9-5 thing just like in sports).

Another important value that I learned from football is trust.

You must trust that your team is going to protect you at all costs. Playing an offensive position, I had to have confidence that the O-line was going to cover me. When you are talking about a bunch of big guys coming right for you, that’s a big ask. Being able to put your faith into the hands of someone else is not easy. Managing people at work, I must believe that my team will do what they are responsible for and have faith that they are doing it to the best of their ability. You also have to trust the person you’re in a relationship with or raising a family with. You have to allow yourself to be vulnerable after you’ve put the best team in place around you that you can.

I also learned the value of community. A sense of belonging is something that we all long for throughout life. Football is truly a community; you bond with your team, and they become family. Sure, they may let you down from time-to-time (just like your blood family – let’s be honest!), but in the end, they are always there to lift your spirits when you’re low and celebrate your highs with you when you win.

Asking what football means to me is so subjective and hard to paraphrase. If I had to sum it up, I would say there are many positives that come from the game, no matter if you are a player or fan. The game helped develop me to be the person I am today, and I can’t thank god enough that he put a woman in my path that also has an extreme love for the game. It’s safe to say football will always be on Saturdays and Sundays – and sometimes Thursdays! – in our home.


Special thanks to our guest writer, Shelby Richards, husband of our very own Brittany Richards, for sharing his story!


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