Bonding Essay

Mark Garcia

Mrs. Vande Kerkhoff

English 125

3 Nov. 2015

Bonding

Everybody has their own general idea of bonding. For me, the definition for bonding is getting close to someone or a group of people by getting through a difficult task. For example football forces you to place your trust and dependence on someone other than yourself. I have had my own bonding experience with my football team over the last four years. From freshman year to senior year, I have grown close to my fellow teammates with whom I go into battle every Friday night. I started training with my brothers over the summer and I have seen who I can depend on and trust to have my back. Everyday over the summer, those who are committed and willing to play every down like it is their last are going to be there. Bonding within the game of football allows players to grow close and buy into the system which results in a better football team.

Bonding begins with the annual trip to Hume Lake. Every year before the school year ends and spring ball begins, the football team takes a two-day trip to Hume Lake, a Christian camp for football players. At camp, we bond through a variety of activities that help us get to know our teammates. On the first night, we played Punjabi Can Can, a game played with a rope in each hand. There are two teams; each team separated by the opponent. The object of the game is to get the opposing team's players eliminated by having them hit the can in the middle. To accomplish this objective they, will need to communicate and work together. We came out on top that night and were the champions of Punjabi Can Can. After this victory, we went to a bonfire up the hill. At the bonfire our coaches shared stories about themselves, explaining why they had become our coaches. This helped us get closer to our coaches and get us all to understand what our goal as a team which should be to get better everyday and win valley. The next night at the bonfire the seniors share a story that the team does not know about. Some stories were funny, some were dumb, and some were really sad and hard to believe they were actually able to get through it. This gave the team an insight on their fellow brothers, and allowed them to see what goes on behind closed doors.

On the last day of the camp there was the Great Race, which consisted of eight events. The running backs paddled across the lake around a buoy and back while being blindfolded and instructed by a coach. Then the offensive line and defensive line had to carry the canoe over their head to the next event, which was the defensive backs sprint up an extremely steep hill. After all the defensive backs ran, the quarterbacks had to throw a ball in a trash can before moving on to the next event. The offensive linemen then had to push a golf cart up a steep hill with the two large coaches on it. Then the bigger players threw the twenty skill players over the wall. Then there was the three-legged race ran by the receivers. Next was the linebackers wheelbarrowed down and back 15 yards. Finally every player finished with a dead sprint. The whole purpose of the Great Race is to show your fellow teammates that you will not give up on them. If you give up you are not only giving up on yourself but on the whole team. You play every down like it is your last for the guy next to you because he trust you to have his back.

Once I reached the varsity level, I learned the unique bonding traditions such as team dinner, team lunch on Fridays, and the pre-game traditions. Team dinner is the night before the game. We usually get out of practice a little bit earlier so we can get changed and head over to the cafeteria. Team dinner starts at 6:30p.m and ends at 8:00p.m. Once we get into