Narrative of Feature Story

On a cool Saturday morning in mid-October, a group of boys made men by the sport, suit up for the reward of their commitment. As they walk onto the field you can feel the competitive atmosphere as friends, family, and fans gather in the stands. The black and white striped uniforms spread to different parts of the field as the players get ready for the kickoff, ready to show their skill against the enemy team. The referee blows air through the little black whistle and a loud signal spreads out through the air. The kicker takes a step and boots the kick off, sailing high and fast down the field. The game has begun and Ryan Wallace is ready to play.

Wallace is a sophomore football player for Olathe Northwest High School. For ONW football is a social output that also allows players to exercise and craft their skills. He describes what its like to be a sophomore football player with the Ravens and what makes up a good team.

“Trusting your teammates whether it’s to catch the ball or throw a good pass” is key to being successful,” he said.

Ryan also gave an outlook of what the season looks like in terms of practices and games.

“We practice everyday after school and if there is a day where we don’t have school we’ll still come in and practice in the morning. We have 9 games in our season, “Wallace said. 

You may be wondering why someone would commit to devoting their time to such a long and psychically challenging season. Ryan says it is because he loves the game and he’s played It for a long time.

CJ Vredenburg is another sophomore football player for Olathe Northwest. He also gave his perspective about the team sport.

“I play football because my family has always played it and it’s a really fun sport,” Vredenburg said. “It takes a lot to form a successful team,” “The most important parts of a good team are knowing each other well and being synchronized.”

It can be hard to balance homework with a large afterschool commitment like football.

 “We get out of practice earlier now than we did earlier this season. Before it was kind of hard because we would get out so late,” he said.

Being on the field with the team helped show the brotherhood of the players. They all worked together on the green turf to score points and win games. Ryan and CJ are just a small part of the team. The season is long and difficult, but whether it’s the sweaty hot practices or the numbing cold games, the sport has made them who they are. They are Raven football players.