The Power of Football

For some, football is just a silly and dangerous game. For others, football shaped their life through hard work and discipline. To anyone that has played the game at any level, you know it’s NOT for the faint of heart. A certain level of physicality and mental toughness is required. Some will argue football is America’s sport, and quite frankly I couldn't agree more. 

Growing up as an Asian-American in East Tennessee, I struggled with finding my identity. If you don’t know, East Tennessee is not the most culturally diverse place in America. I was ridiculed and bullied because of my outward appearance and speech impediment. Life got a little better one sunny spring day as I dominated all the racing events on field day. (remember how fun field day was) After that day, I made the decision to approach my parents about playing football. 

Football helped me realize my capabilities and sparked a competitive spirit that I still have as a 28-year old man. The game taught me perseverance, resiliency, teamwork and how to accept losses with dignity. Speaking of losses, my Sophomore year of high school we went 0–10. My Junior year we went 1–9. I wish I could write that we turned it around my Senior year and won the state championship. Nope! We went 5–5 though so we did make some improvements. The reason I bring up the blast from the past is because without those losses, I wouldn’t appreciate the victories I experience today. We all need to be humbled in order to evolve. 

I’m beyond thankful for the game of football and the lessons it taught me. The camaraderie and friendships that were formed because of the game has been an enormous blessing in my life. Even if you didn’t play football, just being a fan can present some lifelong friendships. I’ve personally met some amazing people at Titans games. There’s something special about cheering on your team with strangers that share the same mutual interest as you. With 2020 being the craziest year of our lives, we can feel the resounding effect football has on our culture. It’s helping to establish some sense of normalcy again. The power of football is unavoidable.

 - Lance C.

@captainunderdog

Lance is the host of the podcast: Captain Underdog. Season 2 coming this fall . He’s also a friend of SNAPS and is a featured model in our NFL collection.