On November 6, 1869, Rutgers defeated College of New Jersey (later renamed Princeton University) with a score of 6-4 in what was considered the first ever American football game. Though the rules were drastically different than they are today (and more like soccer), the game has evolved since then to become a juggernaut industry and an integral part of American culture.
The NFL’s Super Bowl last year had an average viewership of 127.7 million throughout the broadcast (NFL.com), and a majority of Americans consider the sport to be “America’s Sport” rather than baseball. Football does not serve only as industry and culture, and the greatest impacts of the game often are not in the public eye. The sport provides incredible skillsets and opportunities for participants, and the program at Sentinel High School prepares athletes for life in incredible ways.
Simply put, running a football program requires a lot of money. In 2023, the Washington Commanders’ football program was sold by Dan Snyder to a group led by Josh Harris for more than 6 billion dollars. The University of Alabama spent more than 113 million dollars on their football program alone in 2024 (Tuscaloosa News (.com)). Sentinel High School also spends a considerable amount on its football program, but a large portion of the money is raised from donors and student-led fundraisers. A football program comes at a cost, but it has been proven over and over that it is worth the costs and efforts. The Spartan football program helps student-athletes develop stability, discipline, leadership skills, work ethic, and friendships that last a lifetime.
2025 graduate Kaimana Benson reflects on what football did for him. When asked if he misses being on the football team, he emphatically said, “Oh yeah, I really miss it. I even thought about playing for Montana Tech cause I missed it so much.” Benson was a starting defensive end for the varsity football team as a junior and senior. Kai noted the importance of the friendships he made during football. The group of senior varsity players took a trip to Mexico together during spring break of 2025, and they continue to be close friends even after high school.
At the very end of high school, Benson was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, an aggressive type of lymphatic cancer. He went through a full treatment of chemotherapy, and he was told by the doctor that his excellent physical health helped reduce the negative effects of the chemotherapy. His body was better-equipped to fight the cancer due to his youth and good health. The work Kai put in to become a better football player helped him in his fight against cancer. Football also promotes physical health along with the psychological benefits, and Sentinel’s football team has had immediate and visible impacts on health for many participants.
One of the most beneficial parts of being on a football team is the commitment it requires: multiple workouts a day, monitoring calories/diets, and memorizing plays. These things all take time and an often unnoticed amount of effort. For these people, playing football becomes more of a lifestyle than a sport or hobby. Participation in the football team can give athletes the structure they need to be successful in high school. It creates an incentive to pass classes, and it ensures that students have a desire to succeed in school as well as in sports. The players are reminded that they are student-athletes, and the “student” part always comes first. If a student is failing a class, they are not allowed to participate in games until the grade improves.
Entertainment is a more obvious benefit of having a football team. Games not only become opportunities for students to support the team, but social events as well. The Friday Night Lights are a perfect opportunity to show school spirit and pride, as well as to become closer to fellow students. Being in the student section is one of the most fun parts of being a high schooler, and it’s always worth it to dress up for the theme and hang out with other Spartans while watching the manifestations of all the work the team puts in. The entertaining and exciting nature of the game has led to it becoming the most popular spectator sport in America (Gallup), and at all levels, the game is exhilarating.
The Sentinel High School Pep Band also attends games, and students have fun while creating the iconic atmosphere of high school and college events that always include the loud and energetic brass sounds. Band and football have been paired together for decades. Notre Dame had bands playing at these sporting events since 1887. Sentinel has been doing it for many years as well. Some football players even participate in the band, even between playing periods. Bode Templeton has been doing this for 4 years now.
This commitment and display of effort is a perfect example of the values the Sentinel team tries to instill. Playing in the game would be a reasonable excuse to not play with the band, but Bode goes above and beyond and feels obligated to be a team member of both groups. This lack of entitlement and laziness is exactly what the coaches focus on. Bode says that the biggest life lesson that football taught him off of the field is “Not to be entitled to anything”. Templeton also notes that his specific position has helped him with communication skills and leadership.
The center position is the leader of the offensive line. Those who play this position must communicate well with the rest of the offensive line and lead out in initial blocking that allows each play to survive. Communication is vital for personal and professional relationships, and football has helped Bode and his teammates build these skills that they can use well beyond high school football.
Patience is also important to Bode in football and in life. Templeton said that the biggest challenge in football is “delayed gratification”. In practices from Monday to Thursday, he says that there is “no reward, and that makes it really hard and has taught me to trust life’s process and God’s timing”. The payoff is on Friday, when the team is put to the test. They find that the effort is worth it, but it can be hard to see that during the practices and hard work. Temporary struggle for long-term success is a concept that helps people thrive once they grasp it, but it’s not easy at first to recognize the benefits.
Football can shape the character of high schoolers, especially during the impressionable teenage years. Templeton says that “football forces you to be comfortable in the uncomfortable, so I end up finding myself in tougher situations and I’m okay with being in them”.
The lessons teens gain from participating in the sport can take years to learn, but the hard work and sacrifice helps them get a head start in building character, patience, and work ethic. Football is a game that means so much more than entertainment, and the Sentinel program is doing an excellent job instilling the further purpose of the sport.
