AJ stands for Andrew Jackson, our 7th president. His reputation for toughness earned him the nickname "Old Hickory." A hero of the War of 1812, Jackson has appeared on the $20 bill since 1928.

It's like nothing else!

The coach is telling us the final game plan in the locker room. We all stand stock still by the door waiting to go out. You can just feel the nervousness and excitement...

...and then the coach yells, “GO!” and we all run out, each of our hands hitting the sign above the doorway for good luck.

It takes work to get here

This is our first game of middle school football and it’s like nothing else. We all run onto the field and hear the crowd cheering for us.

It's definitely a great feeling. This feeling, though, doesn't come without hard work.

Hard Work

The practices last for about two hours each day and for us, Thursday practices, the day after the game, are always the worst. We call these practices “Super Thursday.” They include hitting drills, followed by wind sprints over and over again, with up-downs following the sprints.

Just in case you're wondering, up-downs are when you line up across the field and chop your feet until coach blows the whistle. Then you throw yourself to the ground and pop back onto your feet quickly.

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To make your first game great, you’ll have to go to several practices every week, along with a game.

You really have to be able to balance your time well to get your school work done and attend football practice. You should probably set a time every night after football practice for homework.

All of this may sound hard, but if you are willing to make a commitment to the team, it's definitely worth it.

Costs and fees

Buying your ownBuying Your Own

If you are going to buy your own, I would suggest shopping online first before going to a store. This way you can see a wide variety of styles and prices conveniently.

When you are looking around, you probably shouldn't have to spend more than about $100 on a helmet and no more than $70 on shoulder pads.

This year, since I was only a seventh grader and knew I wouldn't be starting, I opted to use the school pads and helmet. But next year, when I more than likely will be starting, I probably will go out and get my own helmet and shoulder pads.

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When you sign up to play football for your school, there will probably be no initial sign-up costs. If there are, they will probably be small ($60 or less).

Small Fee

This small fee might pay for the team shirts you receive at the end of the year, and also for any equipment or jerseys the school may need to replace.

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The school will probably provide you with all of your football necessities including pads,practice and game day pants and jerseys, and helmets.

Pads

You need all of these different pads to protect you from major injuries. The leg pads include knee pads, thigh pads, hip pads, and a tail bone pad.

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The helmet will protect your head from major injuries, like concussions. The school may also provide you with a pregame meal. Our school gives us some peanut butter crackers, bananas, and water.

At first I thought this was pretty crummy, but hey, the crackers fill you up just enough, and the banana helps you not to get cramps. The mom of one of the players volunteers to pick up our pregame meals.

What should I eat on the big day?The Right Food Choices

When you are at school on the day of a game, you don't want to eat too much because you might get cramps while playing. So, for lunch just eat a peanut butter sandwich and some fruit. These are healthy foods that will fill you up.

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Equipment

All the equipment you'll need is provided at no cost to you. That equipment may not be in the best condition. For example, the pads may not fit quite right or maybe the helmet doesn't have the most comfortable padding.

The school is giving you the best they can and they do their best on repairs and upkeep.

Don’t Lose Your Stuff!

At my school, if your equipment breaks they fix it at no cost to you. If you lose it though, that's something totally different. You may have to pay for it or you may even be kicked off the team.

At our school, we weren’t allowed to take our pads outside of the locker room except for practices and games.

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If you don't really like the condition of the equipment you are given, there is another option. You could buy your own. This would be a good choice if you are going to be getting a lot of playing time because you want to be comfortable out on the field.

The issue of comfort is probably the main reason to buy your own equipment. The school will always provide pads with adequate protection. But if you get your pads and there seems to be cracks or missing padding, show your coach and he will get you a new set.

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