Most football players and coaches are familiar with the old adage about spending more time at work than they do at home.

Those battles on the gridiron and long hours on the practice field do more than prepare you for game day. They help build relationships that could last a lifetime. The bond that exists between teammates can be as strong as brothers. 

Jason Tenner, the 2018 International Bowl U-15 head coach, believes in this statement wholeheartedly, and urges players and coaches to enjoy the moments with teammates and staff because you are making long-lasting memories.

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“All of my closest friends have shared the field with me in some capacity, whether it be my high school teammates, college teammates or those from my short stint at the pro level; nothing bonds people together as much as being a part of a team,” said Tenner, who has coached for 17 years at the high school level. “Even today, I make new friends every year coaching our great game. The love we share for the game, the lessons it has taught us and how much it has shaped our lives creates an unbreakable bond.”

The guys you play with end up becoming part of your family. They are the ones you leaned on when times got tough on the field, and the players end up calling on that support after their playing days are done. 

Those bonds and relationships are tough to put into words.

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“You don't choose your relatives, but you can choose your family,” Tenner said. “My football brothers are the family I have chosen and they are always there when I need them and vice versa. They are the ones I ask for advice, and I have been in the wedding party for more than a few of my old teammates.

“I feel as if I have an extended network, a support system, all over the country that I can tap into if needed.”

In life, players need people who they can count on; people who will be there when ‘it’ hits the fan. The guys you have sweat with, bled with, laughed with and cried with will always answer your call when you need it.

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That’s the connection football creates.

“Football teaches accountability and teamwork, traits that translate very well into every walk of life,” Tenner said. “We are trained to meet adversity head on and challenged daily to rise up, and the relationships we forge with our teammates last because they have seen us at our worst, our most vulnerable, when we've been broken and they've been there to help us fight our way back. 

“Our brothers in the locker room may move away from us, but they – and the memories they helped create – are with us forever.”