Illustration by Rachel Maves
My favorite season is fall. I love celebrating the cooler nights, the changing leaves and, most importantly, football. I grew up in Alabama, where football wasn’t just a game but a way of life. On Friday nights we cheered on our local high school team, and on Saturdays we divided into two sides, wearing orange and blue or crimson and white. I went on to attend the University of Alabama, where my husband and I met at my first football game on a blind date. We like to remind our two boys they literally exist because of football.
Recently, I experienced football in a whole new way — not just as a fan, but through the eyes of a parent. During the preseason, my ninth grader practiced with the football team at Douglas Freeman High School. In that short amount of time, I gained a new respect for my favorite sport.
So much is involved in high school football. The level of commitment is incredible. There are early practices at 6 a.m. and late practices when the heat index is 100 degrees. On the field, multiple coaches, trainers, athletic managers and more work with players daily. Off the field, an entire team of volunteers is needed to feed the players, film the game, move the chains, keep score, run the concession stand and sell merchandise.
At Freeman, Henrico County residents Chris and Alfreda Beach are a big part of the high school football community, volunteering throughout the season. Chris grew up playing football in Powhatan and saw how the county rallied around his team, and he’s paying it forward today. “The sense of community is what makes football special,” he says.
The Beaches have raised their four boys on the football field, and their third son, Hank, is a starting center at Freeman this year. “I’ve loved football since I was 5 years old and always dreamed of playing at the next level,” Hank says.
Even during an extra grueling practice or a heartbreaking game, Hank says he never considered walking away. “It’s hard playing football. Every single day you work at it. You don’t get many days off. But it definitely pays off.”
“I’ve always taught my boys that when you get knocked down, you get back up again,” Chris says. “You grind through it — it isn’t handed to you.”
Hank has committed to play football for Navy next year. He says the lessons he’s learned on the football field and in the locker room have prepared him for the rigor of the U.S. Naval Academy.
While his mom, Alfreda, gets nervous in the stands, she says the rewards outweigh the risk. “My boys love it so much — football is a brotherhood,” she says. “It’s nerve-racking, yes, but you can get hurt in anything you do.”
All student athletes’ parents worry about injuries. They’re also a concern for leaders in Richmond’s school districts, who work to ensure the game is as safe as possible for players. Rick Lilly, who oversees athletics and activities at Henrico County Public Schools, says they follow strict safety guidelines and protocols set by the local school board as well as the National Federation of State High School Associations.
“Everyone shares in the responsibility to eliminate unsafe practices,” Lilly says. “Education and technique have improved greatly over the years.”
Both HCPS and Richmond Public Schools contract with Bon Secours Richmond to employ a dedicated athletic trainer at each of its high schools.
“We take our athletes’ health and safety very seriously,” says Stefanie Ramsey, RPS athletics coordinator. “We also partner with the Richmond Health Department to do whole wellness checks to make sure they are mentally and physically in the right space.”
Last spring, RPS debuted its first-ever girls’ flag football program. While girls don’t wear helmets, they do wear protective headbands to minimize injury risk.
“People think about football as just hitting each other. However, there are so many dynamics,” Ramsey says. “When you learn a playbook, you’re thinking about velocity, angles and power. And being part of a team is one of the greatest teachers in life, giving you social skills, discipline, resilience, confidence and self-esteem. It’s really empowering.”
Lilly argues that when students feel a sense of belonging, they are more successful. “Research shows that students who participate in athletics and activities have better grades, attendance and graduation rates, and are less likely to do drugs or other illicit activities,” he says.
For Ramsey, being part of a team helped her through the most difficult time in her life.
“My mother passed away when I was in high school, and I really leaned on my teammates to get me through it,” she says. “Our kids go through so much today, and they need that extra support system, that second family.”
Football is indeed a family, not just for players but for everyone involved — the coaches, staff, parents, volunteers and fans. Once a week, no matter our backgrounds or political beliefs, we come together as one and become part of something greater than ourselves. Long after the final whistle, that unity endures.
