The college football season began last night. While my first Alma mater, Southern Miss, did not play well at all, this is still an exciting time of the year. After spending parts or all of the season working with football teams at Southern Miss and Auburn as an athletic trainer during the middle of the past decade, it's nice to be a fan and just watch the games. However, many people take college football way too seriously, and forget that these are 18-22 year old student athletes. They are not paid to play football like players in the NFL. In addition to the countless hours spent on the practice field, film room, and game room, they also have to take 5-7 classes a semester. They are going to make mistakes on the field, and many fans get extremely upset when this happens. It's ok to get excited when good things happen and upset when they don't, but the outcome of a football game should not affect your mood for the entire week or cause you to yell derogatory comments at the players or other fans. Enjoy the game, but when it's over, remember that it is just that, a game.
