Starting as a Freshman… How Difficult Could It Be?

One of the biggest adjustments for a freshman football player transitioning from high school to college is the physical demand. You need to be faster, stronger, and bigger in all aspects of the game. Caleb Fix is a freshman who plays for Greenville and weighs in at 160 pounds. Coach Bell, the defensive coordinator said this of Fix: “He needs to get bigger. He is too small for an outside linebacker. He has a chance to take the starting spot if he gets bigger and stronger.” On top of that, he needs to do well academically to stay on the team.

Coach Flannery, offensive coordinator, said, “How well you know the playbook is key to getting playing time.” It is not easy to start as a freshman because college is a whole different ball game. Most freshmen are overwhelmed on their first day of fall camp because the upperclassmen play intimidatingly well; this may be because they are stronger and faster. It is similar to a freshman going up against the JV team in high school. Fix, a linebacker, said, “Everyone is bigger in college, and unlike high school where you can just put athletes on the field, everyone here was recruited because they have at least some skills”.

College tryouts require more skill and energy than in high school. In general, there is more talent on the field. Fix said, “Coming from a small school, we often played teams that would just put bodies on the field because they needed to, but the teams we face in college have athletes who are there for a reason.” From having simple conversations with Fix, it is clear there is are a lot of things he needs to adjust to.

College football teams travel a lot further than high school teams as well. Most high school teams play within their state. In college, you play teams from all over, from California to the other side of the United States. For example, Greenville’s football team plays teams from Iowa and Minnesota, just to name a few. In Division III football, players take the bus to travel to their away games. In college, it is a lot harder to make up work in classes because you travel far away to games. Seth Logan, a sophomore tight end who played as a freshman, said, “You have to be able to make a lot more time for your schoolwork and focus on homework because being a student is just as important as being an athlete, especially in college.”

The coaches here are all about detail, execution, and making plays. College football is much more difficult than most freshmen think because they are used to having more free time like they had in high school. Playing football in college is more like a job in many ways, plus you have schoolwork on top of that. In high school, football careers are more focused on having fun and playing for enjoyment.

Also, football is a year-round sport here at Greenville University. As soon as the football season is over, the team starts off-season workouts twice a week. After spring break, they have spring ball with no shoulder pads where they just go through plays and drills. Most of the time, high school football programs consist of just lifting weights and conditioning. If you are interested in becoming a part of the football program check out Facebook, Twitter, and fill in the questionnaire.