Being selected to represent your country in anything you do, whether it’s football, basketball, track and field, baseball or in an off-the-field role is a big deal. 

Playing for the USA Football National Team – with a roster composition of 50 players – is a fantastic opportunity and honor for any high school athlete.

The prestige of playing at AT&T Stadium – home of the Dallas Cowboys – and the pride in playing for your country are the two most obvious benefits. However, the paybacks go beyond the football field, and can spill over into your everyday life and help with experiencing the world.

RELATED CONTENT: Georgia’s D’Andre Swift earns U.S. National Team alum honors

“This is the closest to being in the Olympics that football has at this current time,” Aaron Ingram, Senior Manager of Football Player & Coach Personnel said. “Hopefully it goes deeper than this, but for now this is it. The International Bowl is the world’s largest football competition, with 12 different games spread out over three different game days.

“Teams from Japan, Canada, Mexico and Nordic (a team that's comprised of players from Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark), along with the United States playing. The Super Bowl only has one game and two teams, the College Football Playoff has four teams and we have 12; so it is going to be quite an event.”

Players get a chance to experience what the skill set and style of play is around the country when they all get together. They can look around the room and see that they are surrounded by talent at all positions from all different states.

RELATED CONTENT: Kansas State's Dalton Risner recalls his National Team experience fondly

Being part of the National Team also is a small experience and feeling the players will have once they get to college to help with the trasition.

The specific football players who get chosen to play for and wear the Stars and Stripes receive teaching points and lessons from some of the top high school and college coaches in the country, and therefore, receive quality preparation for the future.

“I think what it does is help to hammer home or cement in the techniques and lessons being taught to them from their coaches back home,” Ingram said. “It makes them aware of the great teaching they are already receiving. The more you practice or rep something, the better you become at it, so having these players play more at a high level gets them used to the high-speed, high-intensity game of football.”

RELATED CONTENT: Here's how you can finance your trip to play for the U.S. National Team

In return, not only do these student-athletes grow their skill on the gridiron, they also create and carry on friendships with coaches and players that could last a lifetime.