Brian J. O'Hara Memorial Scholarship

As I dragged my feet down the stairs to our locker room, I heard the slamming of helmets, the low whispers of conversations and the muffled sobs of my teammates who just played their last football game. As I sat down with my face in the palm of my hands, tears of my own running down my face, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I looked up to see a freshman standing over me. He thanked me for everything I had done for him. He told me he looked up to me. After he stepped aside, teammate after teammate came up to me and thanked me for the example I set and the impact I had on them. Until that moment I had no idea how influential I was to my teammates. One of the most humbling moments of my life was being voted by my peers to be a captain of my football team. When my name was called I was so grateful and honored. As a captain, I was in charge of leading my team, representing us to the community, and being a spokesperson for the program to our athletic director. I participated in several fundraising events and community service projects involving the team. My favorite community service projects included serving breakfast at our local VFW, helping to run youth football games, and coaching youth players in the community.  Looking back on my football career and the night my team played our last game together, I can see the many ways that football improved my character. Waking up before the sun to practice during the summer while my friends were still asleep, taught me discipline. I learned how to be a part of something bigger than myself by being a small part of a larger goal and I learned how to work hard by giving effort everyday at practice, lifts, or games. I believe I was a successful leader because I made sure that everyone on the team felt important, from the starters to the freshman. I accomplished this by coordinating rides for underclassmen to get to team dinners so that they could bond with the rest of the team. In the weight room, I took time away from my own workout to teach the freshman how to properly do exercises that they were struggling with. I made sure to tell the unsung heroes of our team that I appreciated them after every game. Football gave me plenty of opportunities to learn how to handle disappointment and failure, but it also taught me to persevere. I may not have the opportunity to lead a football team in college, but I can still find a community to be a part of and use what I’ve learned to build a team, achieve new goals, and give back.