In the stands, many students and parents of Athens Drive High School watch the football team during the fall, but what happens behind the scenes of the football team? While football does take physical effort, there’s a lot of mental work when devoting time to sports. Although the season has just begun, the behind-the-scenes work has already started.

“The most important thing about being a manager is film. Film is the most important because that’s what coaches use to go over what they need to improve from both practices and games,” said Yasmin Abdallah, senior 

Throughout the summer, players put in weekly hours for football practice, on top of other responsibilities such as jobs and spending time with friends and family. With stretches, warmups, runs, drills and scrimmages, the players are pushed to become better for each upcoming season. Football players practice during the summer for extra preparation, but  also to build a community within the team. 

“As coaches we put athletes through practice and repetition to do their very best and 

recognize individual differences, to help them perform at their very best…off the field we build relationships that help athletes perform in the classroom,” said David Pyper, coach.

The athletes have been able to train with the help of motivation from coaches, as both the players and coaches have faced months of mental preparation. The Athens Drive coaches have expressed that the team is their chosen family, as they spend as much time together as they would spend with their own family, and they are able to watch each other grow and change. For many people, feedback can sometimes be taken in the wrong direction, as for the football players, they are constantly given criticisms, so they have learned to use that feedback to strengthen their weaknesses. Additionally, the Athens Drive coaches provide support for their team, this means supporting them by helping them academically, emotionally or simply listening to them when they truly need it. 

“For athletes that really care about a sport, academics and athletics go hand and hand, without good grades you can’t get into programs that will allow you to grow,” said Derek Crumpton, senior. 

Academics and physical effort are simultaneously a crucial part of football. The players have to maintain exceptional grades to have the privilege to play on the team. Balancing practice every day and managing schoolwork can prove to be a challenge for the players. However, this teaches them life skills such as time management and responsibility. Many athletes are looking for scholarships and offers so they can pursue their dreams. Football alone can’t provide that opportunity for them but academics is a key part for offers and scholarships. 

“The energy is great, the talent we have on the team is great, everyone is doing their part. I think we could win it all this season,” said Lemuel Hailey, junior.

On August 26, 2024, as the whistles blew, the Jaguars played their first game of the season against Green Hope High School, taking home their first victory of the season 43-14. The Jaguars are optimistically predicting that they will make it to the playoffs this season. To get there, the team practices Monday through Friday from 2:30 to 5:30 in the afternoon. As the season progresses, athletes look forward to the games as well as where the lessons learned from playing will take them in the future.

“Just come ready to play,” said Caleb Reed, senior.