The stadium lights beating down on you. The roars of the crowd chanting your team’s name. The feeling of the turf beneath your cleats as you step out onto the field. You take a deep breath and think to yourself, “Man do I love this game.”

For some of the 2017 U.S. National Team players, taking the field for the first time is the exact moment they fell in love with the game of football.

But each athlete has a unique story of how he or she fell in love with the game.

Under-17 National Team athlete Jalen Jackson fell in love with the sport as a 5-year-old, when he watched his first game with his father.

“Football was a big part of my father’s life, as he was a player as well, so I loved that it’s something we share in common,” he said.

For many on the U.S. National Team, a childhood love of the sport developed into a passion for playing it.

Under-18 National Team member Ezekiel Ennis said that observing a sibling playing the sport prompted him to take it up.

“Growing up watching my brother play football inspired me to get involved in the game as well,” he said.

A shared love of football has the power to bring people of all different cultures and background together. This is the reason why Jackson’s teammate, wide receiver Jatavious Harris, starting playing the game.

Harris said he loves how an NFL game could bring all his friends and family together on Sunday afternoon—and how it led to the beginning of his own football journey.

“At first football was just something I watched with my family,” he said. “Then in 2006 I signed up to play on my first football team and well, the rest was history.”

However the National Team players got started in the sport, they seemed to agree football has taught them some incredibly valuable life lessons.

Under-17 National Team defensive back Shakeer Mcpherson pointed to hard work and a desire to be great, while Cam Spence, a defensive lineman on the Under-19 National Team, singled out learning to deal with adversity and not to give up when things get hard.

In addition to the principles that the game has instilled in them, National Team athletes also take away another critical element from their time playing football: memories, especially from their time representing their country on the gridiron.

“There’s nothing like getting to represent your country in a sport that has meant so much to me personally," Spence said.

National Team veteran Ezekiel Ennis pointed to the memories rooted in new friendships he’s formed playing in the National Team program.

“(I’ve met) people who end up being more than just friends, but lifelong connections,” he said.

The bonds created, memories made, and lessons learned are something these players will carry with them into the next steps of their football career. And although the crowds may disperse and stadium lights may dim, their love the game will never fade.