Draft 1)

The community I belong to is the student-athlete community. Specifically the football team and
coach community. We are a disciplined group focused on winning, team preparation, and trying
to push each other to reach new heights. It is at many times compared to military discipline in
the way we organize certain aspects. I am just a player and I everyday try my best to make my
other teammates feel better prepared for the game. Pushing them to become the best version of
themselves, and learning and following gameplans created by the coaches. I have to be able to
pick up on ques created by the coaches. We have special names for each play that we have
memorized in order to make practices and thus games run more smoothly. When it comes to my
teammates I pick up those who look discouraged by a mistake or the like. I am constantly trying
to read their body language. By doing this we can all become a better team during the game.
We can become part of a larger family. On top of this I get to become closer to my teammates,
we have each others back and I can always rely on them. There will be ups and downs but we
will always be moving forward. I know this and will always feel a part of the team. It has helped
me learn to grow as a person and learn to read people much better. As one of the key members
and leaders of offense I have to do more than the rest. I have to read the opposing team as well
and work with our linebackers to come up with a play.

Draft 2)

The community I belong to is the student-athlete community. Specifically the football team and
coach community. We are a disciplined group focused on winning, team preparation, and trying
to push each other to reach new heights. It is often compared to military discipline in the way we
organize certain aspects. I am just a player and I try my best to make my other teammates feel
better prepared for the game. Pushing them to become the best version of themselves, and
learning and following gameplans created by the coaches. I have to be able to pick up on cues
created by the coaches. We have special names for each play that we have memorized in order
to make practices and thus games run more smoothly. When it comes to my teammates I pick
up those who look discouraged by a mistake or the like. I am constantly trying to read their body
language. By doing this we can all become a better team during the game. We can become part
of a larger family. Whenever we are working together to push the sleds, we will shout words of
encouragement to one another. Even after practice this connection never ends. When it is time
for the weight room, we all band together and talk about practice while we lift. We talk about life
and how our classes are doing, and anything else to our fancy. Talking about family and what
we think of the upcoming game. Becoming closer, becoming more than a team. A lot of times
whenever we are preparing for a heavy lift we will often hype up that person. Giving words of
encouragement and giving them that adrenaline boost they need to get over the “hump” and
complete the lift. I remember that after helping to spot so many times on heavy lifts, we became
a well-oiled machine. We were able to pick up on cues without even needing to speak. As
spotters, we became accustomed to what looked like needing help to rerack the weight and
what looked like they were just pushing through it. We didn’t want to interfere with their lift as all
that energy would have gone to waste. But, at the same time, we didn’t want our teammates to
get hurt and risk an injury that would put them out for weeks. All of this would help us get closer
to each other. We have each others’ backs and can always rely on one another. There will be
ups and downs but we will always be moving forward. I know this and will always feel a part of
the team. It has helped me learn to grow as a person and learn to read people much better.

Another aspect is whenever we were preparing for plays and watching “film” as a group after or
before games. We would study together in a classroom-type environment. As one of the key
members and leaders of defense, I have to do more than the rest. I have to read the opposing
team as well and work with our linebackers to come up with a play. This would mean I have
more work to do in studying, as I will need to lead our defense come game time. I would have to
work with coaching and the other members of defense to come up with names for plays, and
come up with a layout that we think would work best against the opposing team's offense. As we
read in “Coaches Can Read, Too” by Sean Branick. We as readers got to see a lot of the inner
workings of the behind-the-scenes. There is so much more than meets the eye that goes into
game preparation. I experienced all of this firsthand and was a contributing member to it. We
typically ran what is called a “53” defense. This meant 5 downed linemen with 3 linebackers
behind, 2 corners, and a safety all the way in the back, for a total of 11 players. We had names
for plays that would involve blitzes using the linebackers to shoot through gaps between the
opposing team's linemen. All of these had call signs and special audibles that we would learn
and memorize during practice to be used in game. As Branick explained in the article, players
had to know the playbook in and out and work with the coaching staff to call out plays in the
middle of a game. There simply isn’t enough time to explain who needs to go where and such. If
the corners need to be in zone or man coverage, if the lineman are going to create a hole for a
blitzing linebacker, if the safety is going to pick up an extra receiver that moved before the play
began. All these things have to be done in the moment so time is of the essence. Therefore the
use of short audible terms that represent each of these plays is crucial during a game situation.
 Works Cited

Branick, Sean. "Coaches Can Read, Too." Writings About Writing: A College Reader. Boston:
Bedford/St.Martin's, 2011. 557-73. Print.