Hard decision about deer season and my second love
 

I play high school football and it is my senior year, i made the decision not to go on to college ball due to my major was not available at the schools that have offered. So this thursday is maybe one of my last games ever, we play a tough team but we might have a chance of winning. If we win we go to the state play offs, if we lose my football career is over. I want to play football as long as possible, but the longer we go the less deer hunting i do. all i've done this fall is hang tree stands and scout, bow season has gone for almost a month now and i haven't done anyhting. this decision is so hard for me to do, i will always have hunting but i love it so much i want to do it now. but i will never play organized football ever again if we lose this thursday. what would you do?

RE: Hard decision about deer season and my second love
 

Well I'm a junior now in college and I thought about playing college football and decided at the last minute that i would enjoy getting to be a fan and enjoy deer season but high school football is different. You will miss football like crazy when its over and you will always have deer season, winning a state championship is a once in a lifetime oppurtunity so deer season can wait. Our high school team made it to the playoff and all i was focused on was going further in the playoffs but once its over you can devote all that time to deer season.

RE: Hard decision about deer season and my second love
 

Buddy, you can deer hunt the rest of your life. This is possibly the last time you will suit up for a game. Believe you me, I've been graduated for 10yrs now and I miss it terribly. I would love to take the field one more time. Cherish this moment because you won't get these days back. A few years from now you will understand what I'm saying.

RE: Hard decision about deer season and my second love
 

They are all right!!! Hunting will be in ur life for the rest of ur life!! i won a football state championship in highschool and it was the best time of my life!! trust me u will miss it when its gone!! good luck!!!!!!!

RE: Hard decision about deer season and my second love
 

They are all right, you will have hunting forever but high school and everything that comes with it only happens once in your life. Enjoy and take full advantage of what you have before you right now. There will be plenty of years of hunting ahead of you. Live for the moment.

RE: Hard decision about deer season and my second love
 

You can deer hunt the rest of your life, man. Play ball and don't look back!

When I was your age the coach begged me to be on the team, I picked hunting instead... Trust me, hunting seasons come and go, but high school football comes only once a lifetime.

RE: Hard decision about deer season and my second love
 

Play ball! You might never step on that fielkd again in pads, it is something you will take with you and your friends forever. It is a commitment you made to yuor teamates, your coach and your school that is to be fulfilled. It is a commitment your family has made in supporting your footbal carreer that you must fulfill. It will be part of your growth to manhood and learning that sometimes the things we want have to be set on hold in order to do the things people depend on us for. Play Ball and sorry about the Joe Paterno speech.

RE: Hard decision about deer season and my second love
 

I'd give my left nut to be able to put the pads on one more time. The deer will be there, dude. Enjoy this experience while you can.

RE: Hard decision about deer season and my second love
 

dude dont be silly, play ball........... you will wish you could again someday like the rest us washed up high school starssss

RE: Hard decision about deer season and my second love
 

What decision do you have to make? I see only one option, play your heart out and try to win the game for you team.

Is there actually another option that I am not seeing here?

RE: Hard decision about deer season and my second love
 

You can deer hunt your entire life, right up to the time you leave this earth. However, you can only play so many football games. Play as long and as hard as you can, because when it is over, it is over forever. I would gladly trade my best year of bowhunting for one more season on the football field.

RE: Hard decision about deer season and my second love
 

man you have to go as hard as you can for as long as you can for the team cause if you dont ull look bak and say man i wish i would have choosen to play ...... finish it out no reason to quit a the end of season

RE: Hard decision about deer season and my second love
 

This portion of your life is all too short, suit up. As others have said you will miss it terribly and it will never come back. I strapped up for the last time 11yrs. ago and it still kills me.

RE: Hard decision about deer season and my second love
 

Play football. This could be your last game ever, and like other guys on here said, you got the rest of your life to hunt. Unless you'd go to college to play orpro, you don't have much time left to play football. I'm as big of a hunter as your going to find, but I still made to to play basketball, go to football games, etc. Right now, football is more important.

RE: Hard decision about deer season and my second love
 

I agree with everyone on here. I'd do anything to go back to the state championship gamewe won in basketball just to start and play that whole game one more time. We won 39-27, it was a hard fought defensive battle, but we played a little better defense.I'm only 20 and it seems just like yesterday we were winning that game, and it didn't happen all that long ago.

RE: Hard decision about deer season and my second love
 

you can hunt the rest of your life and you may only have one more football game plus all of your team is counting on you. Go to the game you will not be sorry

RE: Hard decision about deer season and my second love
 

Why are you in football?! Cross country is where its at![:'(]:DI do however agree that you should play in the game and any others that you get to play in. I got jipped out of my senior year in wrestling due to injuries and illness and I miss it terribly.:([>:]

RE: Hard decision about deer season and my second love
 

Agree 100%!!!!

RE: Hard decision about deer season and my second love
 

Look I played football and Rugby in College at school no where near good deer hunting, desert mulies and black tails were the only thing even close and even that was a drive.

But if i were you i would play ball. The 5 yearsi was able to be apart a larger program were great, sure there were upsand downs and politcal bs you have to put up with but when you lookback its all worth it. Im 27 now andi still wish i had gone farther, and not suffered all the injuries, but its beyond worth it. And the college that doesnt have your major is a cop out. Your 17 or 18, you really dont know exactly what your majoris going to be for sureuntil your 20. Take gen ed classes, you have to take them anyway, mid as well take them andget them out of the way play football and figure out later if what you think you want to do is actually what you want to do. I wanted to be anoceanographer, and trust me i changed that!! went intl business with a basisin national security.

If you have a school looking at you to play ball in college, dont be a fool go and play, trust me deer hunting will be there and if you dont make a bowl game you have the whole month of december off to hunt, thats what i did every december.

RE: Hard decision about deer season and my second love
 

I graduated high school in 1996 and went on to play 4 years of college football. During those years of playing I always thought I would rather be hunting. I was raised in the woods and on the water and sports started to interfere as I got older. As I look back on it now, I wouldnt change anything about it. I was always told that I would have the rest of my life to hunt and fish. Well, they were right. Now, as a school guidance counselor, football coach and avid outdoorsman, I get in the woods when I can and make the best of every trip out. All I can tell you is to take everyones advice from this board. Play your heart out and take advantage of this oppurtunity. There are too many people out there that wish they could take one more snap or play one more quarter for you to waste yours away. Good luck this week and have a great time on that field. Play every play like it's your last because you just dont ever know when it will all end!!!

RE: Hard decision about deer season and my second love
 

Play Ball!

RE: Hard decision about deer season and my second love
 

well i was having this problem too. i just finished my football season and am lookin forward to my deer season. But i also made a decision that this would be my last year playin football. I have played it for 6+ years now and have gotten to where i dont enjoy as much anymore. So my decision was deer season. But do what you want.

RE: Hard decision about deer season and my second love
 

I would give anything to be able to play sports again...now im just too damn busy to do anything else but work and college...enjoy life while u can...beat the hell outa them

RE: Hard decision about deer season and my second love
 

We won 4 state titles and I wouldn't trade ay of them for anything. Play ball hunt later!!

RE: Hard decision about deer season and my second love
 

I didn't even read all the replies, but they all seem to have the same thought process....play. The reason we can see it so clearly is because we have moved past where you are now. I never played football, but I dod play baseball and basketball. I don't miss basketball that much, but I still dream of the "good ole days" of my high school playing career. I'd give just about anything to go back and play one more time.......don't even think of not playing. You play that game with all you've got left in you, cause it's what you have shed blood, sweat and tears all these years for. Finish it with nothing left and I promise, you'll never regret it. Skip it, or play half heartedly and you'll regret it for a long time. You just have no idea how much you can cherish a thing until it's taken away.[:o]


GH

RE: Hard decision about deer season and my second love
 

Well I played college ball and i did miss deer hunting but i would go back and play high school and college again if I had the chance. So if I was you I would finish high school out with a bang and play some college ball not that many people can say that they played college football. You can deer hunt on your bi week and any other time you can. If you are like me I was coming home and hunting on Sundays until football was over. Good luck and I'm sure you will make the right choice.

RE: Hard decision about deer season and my second love
 

hey all you guys thank you for all the advice, tips, and insperation. I played my last game thursday, it was against the reigning state champs. i probably broke a few ribs, damaged my hamstring, and can hardly walk. i played my heart out for my team and left it all between the white lines. i led the team that night in receptions. but sadly we lost. the lsat play of the game my QB threw a hail mary up to me in the enzone. it got picked off and the game was over. i dropped to my knees and cried so hard. i so wish my team could've won. i'm gonna miss it. but thank you all so very much for the words of wisdom. i hope you all have a great season this year. good luck

RE: Hard decision about deer season and my second love
 

I don't know how many high schools there are in your state but believe when I say that most college coaches (both in- and out-of-state) and recruiters do not have time to properly scout every high school player on every team in any state. A "quick and dirty" way to best use their time is to wait until a team and its players reach the state pay-off level. These are the best teams (and evidence teamwork) and players (individual abilities and talent) in the state.

As others have advised, so would I, play ball, win each game and go to state where you should play your heart out for yourselve, your team, your teammates, your school, your community and, maybe, your future college career.

RE: Hard decision about deer season and my second love
 

Great memories are made up of once in a life time events. Play ball and I think you will not regret it. Deer hunting? Well, I've have a life time of memories. Missing one season won't make a difference.

RE: Hard decision about deer season and my second love
 

You simple MUST play ball my friend. It is your obligation. You are a part of a team. There are people counting on you.

I don't want to sound mean but you are being selfish. Although you are a senior,graduating and moving on - there are other juniors, sophs and maybe freshman who will continue to play for the team in coming years. Not only should youset an example for them to follow and give 100% of your ability but like you said -you might win against a tough team. What if it is a very close lossand the reason is they overpowered your position or something like that but you were out deer hunting?

Get yer butt to practice and hit that game field harder than you ever did before! TEAR IT UP! Like those other guys said I'd give a nut too.

Good luck.

RE: Hard decision about deer season and my second love
 

Play ball i graduated three years ago. We lost in a states finals game. Even though we lost, the memories are better then anything else i have experianced.