should I try community college football?

[laxster]

Long post, cope with me or skip to the cliffs at the end.

This is something that's been bugging me for a little while now. I have feelings that are telling me to give it a shot and at least try it out but my logic is telling me otherwise, so I'm split on the decision.

Here's the deal; I love football but I had a really bad high school experience with it. I played 4 years, started maybe 5 games my sophomore year then rode the bench from there on after except on special teams. I played outside linebacker and I was good at it sophomore year (when I started the 5 games, then I fukked up in the games and got benched) then I got switched to ILB and sucked way more at that because I was always thinking about bumps and coverages instead of doing what I was good at which is hitting people.

Part of the problem was I never had confidence in myself in football, I never thought I was athletic enough or skilled enough to ever start after I fukked up sophomore year, and sure enough that's where I ended up. So basically after my sophomore season I lacked self confidence in ability, then I went out and played poorly when given opportunities (even on varsity.) After my senior season I just felt like football just wasn't the sport for me and that I would never play again, concluding that I just sucked at it.

Well what I have realized now after a year of not playing, is that I don't know if I was bad at it or if my lack of confidence highly reflected on my play. I want to prove to myself whether or not I can play so I don't regret not trying it again later on in life.

Furthermore, I was really good at lacrosse and I think it's because in lacrosse I was cocky, confident in my ability & athleticism (trained sports specific training before lax season, increased speed / core / everything, gave me huge confidence boost) and because of that I performed well on the field.

Since I know my size is too small for ilb / olb I want to play safety if I end up going through with this. Every time I watch football that's the position i dreamed of playing, hitting people across the middle, making interceptions, coming up and knocking people the fuk out on run support, being versatile and able to make big plays. Right now I'm not athletic, i've been doing the bodybuilding thing not sports training since I finished high school lax. I'm cutting down to single digit bodyfat (around 175lbs, currently 185.) I've always been pretty explosive, 30" vertical jump @ 195 in high school, hit people hard. Currently my lifting stats are 315x12 dead lift, 225 x 8 bench, not sure about squats, stopped training those hard long time ago. I would be doing sports specific training again at a great place if I decide to go through with this.

So I'm stuck at a crossroad here; I want to see the input from you guys.

cliffs:
-have feelings telling me to play football again, at CC level
-sucked at high school football, i believe it was because i wasn't confident in myself
-played ILB / OLB in h.s. but i want to try safety
-was really good at high school lacrosse, had lots of cockiness / confidence and i think it translated on the field
-at a crossroad, turning to you guys for input

[Jhawk Fitness]

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take"

Translation - Don't look back 20 years from now and wonder "what if". Go for it. I'm sure you're not out but also check to see how much collegiate eligibility you may have remaining, your clock starts as soon as you enroll as a fulltime college student.

[teriyakisaki]

what do you have to gain if all goes according to plan?

what do you lose if it all goes wrong?

[Titan_Monster]

If you do:
-you'll see if you actually were cut out for the game, or if it just wasn't meant for you. Perhaps all you need is a sense of closure with the game.
-You'll stay fit for sure training for the sport.
-You may even develop close relationships with teammates you wouldn't have even known otherwise.

If you don't:
-then you'll continue watching football with a lot of questions about yourself...pretty much it.

[FB4ME]

The previous posts sum it up, but if you were better at lacrosse why not try to play it at the collegiate level?

But, if football is what you want to try out for, you need to check with whatever CC you are looking at and find out if there are any conference rules. I know that some (all?) CC's in the NJCAA (National Juco Athletic Association) can only play 12 out of state players according to conference rules. And what determines if you are out of state or not is where you graduated as opposed to residency, etc like at larger schools. I was told by the school I am looking at that being an out of state athlete, it would be very hard for me to make the team if I was not Big 12 material. So dont think just because it is a Juco that it will be a walk in the park or theres not gonna be some form of politics involved. Sadly, ALL levels of football involve some form of politics.

Im not trying to disuade you, dont get me wrong! I just want to warn you to look into things NOW and see if you will be wasting your time/effort or not. Personally, if the question "what if..." pops into your head every single time that you think/talk/hear about football then it is probably something you should atleast try, so you can go ahead and find out... I wouldn't wait until you are 24, like some jackass I know, to finally try and shut that voice up

[laxster]

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take"

Translation - Don't look back 20 years from now and wonder "what if". Go for it. I'm sure you're not out but also check to see how much collegiate eligibility you may have remaining, your clock starts as soon as you enroll as a fulltime college student.

Very true. I didn't know about the eligibility thing, I thought you had to actually play a sport to lose eligibility time.

what do you have to gain if all goes according to plan?

what do you lose if it all goes wrong?

gain: playing football again, prove to myself i can play and not suck at it, become competitive again

lose: if i didn't workout it would probably compound the feeling that i sucked at football, and i don't like being bad at things so im not sure how i'd take it if i put in a ton of work and got cut or realizing that my initial thoughts were right.

Also commuting an extra ~20 minutes to a different CC, which is not nearly as new / nice as the one I go to now.

If you do:
-you'll see if you actually were cut out for the game, or if it just wasn't meant for you. Perhaps all you need is a sense of closure with the game.
-You'll stay fit for sure training for the sport.
-You may even develop close relationships with teammates you wouldn't have even known otherwise.

If you don't:
-then you'll continue watching football with a lot of questions about yourself...pretty much it.

that's pretty much exactly how i feel. I feel like i have unfinished business and that I have something to prove to myself in football.

The previous posts sum it up, but if you were better at lacrosse why not try to play it at the collegiate level?

But, if football is what you want to try out for, you need to check with whatever CC you are looking at and find out if there are any conference rules. I know that some (all?) CC's in the NJCAA (National Juco Athletic Association) can only play 12 out of state players according to conference rules. And what determines if you are out of state or not is where you graduated as opposed to residency, etc like at larger schools. I was told by the school I am looking at that being an out of state athlete, it would be very hard for me to make the team if I was not Big 12 material. So dont think just because it is a Juco that it will be a walk in the park or theres not gonna be some form of politics involved. Sadly, ALL levels of football involve some form of politics.

Im not trying to disuade you, dont get me wrong! I just want to warn you to look into things NOW and see if you will be wasting your time/effort or not. Personally, if the question "what if..." pops into your head every single time that you think/talk/hear about football then it is probably something you should atleast try, so you can go ahead and find out... I wouldn't wait until you are 24, like some jackass I know, to finally try and shut that voice up

I wanted to play lax but they don't have it at the CC level in my area, and I can't afford CSU / UC to play club which is why I'm at a CC in the first place. I'd be playing lax right now if there was an opportunity.

I'm a competitive person naturally and just want to stay competitive and it seems like football is the best option right now for my situation. I know it won't be a walk in the park, I'm up for the challenge and I have a friend who plays at one of the local CC teams (the CC I go to doesn't have a team, I would have to commute an extra ~20 to a different CC) and I would have to ask him whether or not that policy affected him. And yes, the "what if" question pops up every time I think about football.

[Jhawk Fitness]

Very true. I didn't know about the eligibility thing, I thought you had to actually play a sport to lose eligibility time.

A lot of people make that mistake.

[carl.c]

I say play, nothing to loose if you try, a life time of what ifs if you don't.
Go to the NCAA web sight and get your elegibility question answered there not here. There are so many rules, appeals and exseptions thye are the only ones who can give you the right answer.
Remimber to say your school dosn't have a team, if I read the rule correctly your clock has not started.

[Jhawk Fitness]

Remimber to say your school dosn't have a team, if I read the rule correctly your clock has not started.

Then you're not reading the rule correctly. I refer you to this story:
http://www2.kusports.com/news/2006/a...nues/?football

Particularly this paragraph;

Butler, a defensive tackle, was declared ineligible because of the "five-year rule," which states that an athlete has five years to play four seasons of competition. Butler enrolled at DeVry in Kansas City, Mo., in 2001, starting his clock. It expired after last season, despite the fact Butler played only two seasons of football.

DeVry is a tech/trade school and no sports teams. I also thought the same thing when I was playing in college, which was the reason I transferred to a juco with no football team after leaving my first 4-year school. I still lost the year despite the fact that the school did not have a football team.

[txapn]

^^jayhawk is right on with this!!

OP get with the ncaa and check on ur eligibility!

[FB4ME]

... correct me if Im wrong but the last time i contacted the eligibility center to clear up my eligibility status i was told the 5 year clock only applies to D1 eligibility, D2 is credit hour based. ... I dont think NCAA eligibility rules apply to anything at CC level. If I am correct, as long as you haven't played Juco ball before you will be good.

[laxster]

... correct me if Im wrong but the last time i contacted the eligibility center to clear up my eligibility status i was told the 5 year clock only applies to D1 eligibility, D2 is credit hour based. ... I dont think NCAA eligibility rules apply to anything at CC level. If I am correct, as long as you haven't played Juco ball before you will be good.

This is where I'm confused too, CC isn't NCAA so why would I lose NCAA eligibility? Doesn't make sense but according to that link that guy posted it seems like that is the case.


Anyways, I'm still trying to make up my mind and it's driving me crazy. I have a great fear of failure and this would be an all or nothing deal. I would start working less most likely to fit in training sessions at the place I used to go to in high school and basically dedicate myself to figuring out the safety position while taking 17 units at CC

[Jhawk Fitness]

... correct me if Im wrong but the last time i contacted the eligibility center to clear up my eligibility status i was told the 5 year clock only applies to D1 eligibility, D2 is credit hour based. ... I dont think NCAA eligibility rules apply to anything at CC level. If I am correct, as long as you haven't played Juco ball before you will be good.

Juco's are governed by the NJCAA. The point is, its fairly obvious at his age and being at a 2-year school he hasn't used up all of his eligibility, my point is that his clock is ticking and if he wants to continue to play the sport he has a finite window of opportunity to do so. DII, DIII and NAIA all have their own rules regarding eligibility.

This is where I'm confused too, CC isn't NCAA so why would I lose NCAA eligibility? Doesn't make sense but according to that link that guy posted it seems like that is the case.

Anyways, I'm still trying to make up my mind and it's driving me crazy. I have a great fear of failure and this would be an all or nothing deal. I would start working less most likely to fit in training sessions at the place I used to go to in high school and basically dedicate myself to figuring out the safety position while taking 17 units at CC

Have you ever heard the phrase "either sh!t or get off the pot"?

[FB4ME]

This is where I'm confused too, CC isn't NCAA so why would I lose NCAA eligibility? Doesn't make sense but according to that link that guy posted it seems like that is the case.


Anyways, I'm still trying to make up my mind and it's driving me crazy. I have a great fear of failure and this would be an all or nothing deal. I would start working less most likely to fit in training sessions at the place I used to go to in high school and basically dedicate myself to figuring out the safety position while taking 17 units at CC

doesnt matter, once you enroll in school your NCAA eligibility starts. The 5 year "clock" only applies to Division 1 eligibility... no offense but that "clock" need not concern you. Division 2 is based on how many credit hours you have, i believe Div 3 is the same way. Im not sure how NJCAA works for sure, but from the coaches Ive talked too, I believe you just have to have not played before, but I am not sure.


college ball, at ANY level, is not something that you can do half hearted and expect to have success. Yes you would have to spend virtually all of your free time training, on top of studying/work whatever, to have a shot in hell at making this a reality. And if you made the team your free time would be even less. You sound really indecisive and you mention a "great fear of failure".... in my opinion those are both terms that do not describe a football player at any level. If you want it bad enough you will do what it takes to get it, if its just a fantasy then the thought will fizzle out... good luck in whatever you decide to do.

[laxster]

Juco's are governed by the NJCAA. The point is, its fairly obvious at his age and being at a 2-year school he hasn't used up all of his eligibility, my point is that his clock is ticking and if he wants to continue to play the sport he has a finite window of opportunity to do so. DII, DIII and NAIA all have their own rules regarding eligibility.



Have you ever heard the phrase "either sh!t or get off the pot"?

yeah I am going to decide by the end of this weekend

doesnt matter, once you enroll in school your NCAA eligibility starts. The 5 year "clock" only applies to Division 1 eligibility... no offense but that "clock" need not concern you. Division 2 is based on how many credit hours you have, i believe Div 3 is the same way. Im not sure how NJCAA works for sure, but from the coaches Ive talked too, I believe you just have to have not played before, but I am not sure.


college ball, at ANY level, is not something that you can do half hearted and expect to have success. Yes you would have to spend virtually all of your free time training, on top of studying/work whatever, to have a shot in hell at making this a reality. And if you made the team your free time would be even less. You sound really indecisive and you mention a "great fear of failure".... in my opinion those are both terms that do not describe a football player at any level. If you want it bad enough you will do what it takes to get it, if its just a fantasy then the thought will fizzle out... good luck in whatever you decide to do.

you're right, but that fear is only in my current state. I'm not in football shape, don't know much about safety, etc but if and once I get that started up that fear will dissipate and I will become confident.

[Jhawk Fitness]

Well you've got till July/August to get into football shape (I assume you won't be going through spring ball). In that time you should be busting your ass to get in shape in the weight room, on the track etc. but also watching film and maybe talking with others who have played the position in the past.

[laxster]

Well you've got till July/August to get into football shape (I assume you won't be going through spring ball). In that time you should be busting your ass to get in shape in the weight room, on the track etc. but also watching film and maybe talking with others who have played the position in the past.

Good advice, thanks. I envision learning the position to be the hardest part if I do decide to do this.