Andrew Peterson

Looking back on my childhood and high school life, the game of football has guided me and motivated me unlike anything else.

This love for the game arose in the third grade, as I started my first organized season of i9 flag football. Growing up around the game and constantly having games on throughout the house on Saturdays and Sundays made me dream of winning Super Bowls and competing at the highest level possible.

Fast-forward three years to my first tackle football start. This is when my love for the game evolved, as competition seemed unmatched compared to my daily recess get-togethers. Playing for the Durham Firebirds from grades five to eight, I developed a sense of true team pride, as the players on my team weren't just my teammates but also my best friends.

Transitioning into high school, and being accompanied by some of my former Firebird teammates, the football team was where I met my closest friends and social circles. Bonds were formed during brutal early summer workouts. After two seasons, including one during the COVID pandemic and online classes, I decided to transfer to a private school located 30 minutes away from my home. With this transition I also chose to reclassify, repeating my sophomore year in hopes for more academic and athletic maturity.

While transferring raised anxiety around making new friends and relationships, I was confident I would find my place with the people on the team. As weeks and months went on, I became closer and closer with my teammates as we all shared the same love for the game.

During the offseason and summers, I spent my time training and attending college recruiting camps, as I dreamed of playing at the next level. I continued this desire to play until after my senior season when I decided that my lifelong pursuit of football would come to an end.

Now, I am a member of the University of Georgia Club Lacrosse team. Although lacrosse was always my secondary sport, joining the team here at UGA allowed me to continue pursuing my athletic career and expand my social scene.

That being said, the mental and physical skills that I continue to learn through sports, and the friends made on the way, will stick with me for the rest of my life.