Hot cocoa, blankets, painted faces, and the marching band. Athletics Football games are beginning this weekend, so it’s high time to get ready for the American tradition of cold, fall football games.
BYU-Idaho does not have only one football team that students can watch and support – it has six.
It may be controversial among students, but BYU-I does not compete with other schools in sports. Because of this BYU-I is able to offer athletes an experience that no other school can.
“It’s not the typical football. There’s no swearing, it’s pure football,” said Marrti Rahi coach of the Knights and a junior from Tygh Valley, Ore.
“It’s pretty amazing to feel the spirit on the field. We’re constantly helping people up. There is a huge demonstration of sportsmanship,” Drew Killian, a player for the Wildcats and a sophomore from Ritzville, Wash.
The athletics program is built in such a way that people are playing against their friends. It’s a different game when players can have a friendly conversation with each other across the line, rather than yelling constant insults.
Because there’s no significant consequence to winning or losing, there’s not as much pressure. Students with talent are able to play for fun.
Christian San Juan, a sophomore from Los Angeles, California and a player for the Vikings said that his team went to the championship games last year. Even though his team lost the championship, he really wasn’t angry.
For the most part, the goal is to improve. The players are playing because they enjoy the game, and not because it matters if they win or lose.
“I am looking forward to growing as a person through competition and becoming my best self, mentally, physically and spiritually,” said Merrill Funk, a sophomore from Honolulu, Hawaii and a player for the Wildcats.
“Really, winning doesn’t mean anything. It’s all in the individual progression, and it’s not a matter of superiority,” Jonathon Radford, a junior from Rigby, Idaho and coach of the Vikings said.
However, Crosby said that this season was still going to be very competitive. He said that there’s a lot of good talent this season and that the teams have been divided up fairly equally.
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