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BEFORE KICKOFF

The soaking sweat of football camp
the two a days in stifling heat
trying to sleep in air too damp
being 'most too tired to eat.

Coaches yell"Not Good Enough!"
as you fight for a starting spot
trying your best to be tough
merciless sun burning hot.

Helmets collide with plastic echoes
pads protect but not completely
jammed fingers and cleated toes.
Gatorade goes down salty but sweetly.

Then on to school and evening drills
and films studied of the first foe
cool brings decrease in red salt pills.
Coaches saying you're good to go.

Then at last comes Friday night,
bright lights, pep talk.and blaring band.
Taping ankles up real tight.
Season's first test now at hand.

Crowded bleachers, warm up drills
then running onto the green field;
excitement of the coming thrills.
Time to see what all of the work yields.

Style / type: 
Structured: Western
Review Request (Intensity): 
I want the raw truth, feel free to knock me on my back
Editing stage: 

Comments

a dyed-in-the-wool football fan and maybe a high-school player, to think of it this way. Nice work! Just one criticism. You have a typo in the last stanza. It should be; [Crowded] bleachers, not crowed.
Although, if you were part of murderous mob in the stands over a bad call; it might be crowed! ~ Gee.
.

There is value to commenting and critique, tell us how you feel about our work.
This must be the place, 'cause there ain't no place like this place anywhere near this place.

I often think back to my days in high school and one year of college football and wonder how I got through the heat and this was long before coaches gave the heat much consideration. But the games made the practice worth it. All the times I'd beat a larger player off the line and throw a back for a loss or when somebody thought they were in the clear and I caught them from behind. But the best was seeing the opposing coaches having to change their game plans because of an underweight defensive lineman lol. Thanks for the typo catch.......stan

author comment

I knew that you had to have played some. Unless someone has experience or a player in the house, they don't understand the sacrifices a player makes or the work they put forth. ~,Gee.
.

There is value to commenting and critique, tell us how you feel about our work.
This must be the place, 'cause there ain't no place like this place anywhere near this place.

I have been an outstanding player in all school games
college was a luxury..hence it was denied to me
and
as I ran up and down showing all
the line had been crossed by the ball
They all clapped and yelled
MR OUTSTANDING
WE ALL Hail
so does Mr out what
hail ur O/S'ng POETRY

I expect you were a standout in other things besides poetry. The only field I'm outstanding in is a hay field lol.......stan

author comment

As I enjoyed reading through I thought that was a really great fun (females usually miss) despite all the quagmires you and your mates went through.

Ps, I searched for the word "Gatorade" as new word but couldn't find it. A typo maybe?

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Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words
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Gatorade is the trademark name for a sports drink developed by a University of Florida (the Gators) biologist to replace the sugars and electrolytes lost in sweat and exercise. If drank during periods of exertion it tastes sweet. If drank during a leisure period it tastes salty. Now I bet you never brought it up lol.....stan

author comment

the poem depicts your love of the game and all the excitement after being in the starting line up...great dynamics and optics....
"l" is missing in helmets
and in the current scenario how did you miss the national anthem? lol...
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raj (sublime_ocean)

i broke my helmet twice and had to make do with a hemet lmao. thanks for coming by and typo spot

author comment
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