I am a senior and a football player at the University of Dubuque. My hometown is Littleton, Colorado, where I attended Dakota Ridge High School and played football, basketball and baseball. My focus on mental and physical health has helped me excel in everything I do today. Learning to eat right and stay in shape through my athletic career has proven to be a key factor in my success. Working hard and training to be in top physical condition comes with mental challenges that can make or break the process. With everything going on in the world today, mental health is more important than ever. It is easy to develop a manipulated mindset by looking at social media and seeing what other people are doing that you aren’t. I struggle with this by constantly comparing myself to others and thinking that I am not where I need to be. While this leaves room for growth, I feel it is important to recognize that everyone journeys through life differently, and that we shouldn’t negatively compare ourselves to others. I have a great community of teammates and friends that I can lean on when times get rough. Football has helped me both mentally and physically stay in shape by providing challenges that require me to think critically in times of need and preform physically at the highest level possible. I am now the starting quarterback for the University of Dubuque Football Team, and I have realized that putting all the work in to get to that position has been nothing but beneficial. Sports are the main factors that keep my mental and physical toughness in check.
