We all know football can be pretty competitive. From old rivals to fan drama, it’s just another part of the game. There have even been all-out brawls in the name of defending your team. However, one high school football player showed his love of the sport didn’t trump helping a person in need. The Charles City player’s display of sportsmanship is now going viral.
Mario Hoefer of Charles City, Iowa was facing off against New Haven. In the middle of the game, he noticed an injured player on the other team. Instead of waiting for a trainer to rush over, Hoefer stepped in to help. Someone on the sidelines and captured the moment – and it’s now going viral.
New Hampton’s Carter Steinlage experienced a sudden leg cramp and fell onto the field. Hoefer grabbed the football athlete’s leg and helped him stretch it out as they waited for a team trainer.
“I knew exactly how that felt,” Hoefer said, via the GlobeGazette. “My first reaction was, ‘Okay there’s no trainers over here yet.’ So I’m about to help stretch him out. I did that for a bit and waited for the trainers to come over.”
Soon after the incident, the photo was shared on social media. And it spread quickly. ESPN picked it up and shared it via Twitter.
The supportive response was overwhelming. Many hailed the act as one of “compassion” and “true sportsmanship.”
“I did not expect any reaction,” Hoefer said. “I saw the photo and I was like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s pretty cool.’ But I wasn’t expecting it to blow up the way it did.”
The young athlete reminds us about the true reason we all love sports. A good rivalry is obviously always fun but sportsmanship comes from the strength of our character. Hoefer showed he sure has a lot of it.
High School Football Team Honors Falculty
Football isn’t all rivalry, however. It’s also about tradition. And lots of pride. One South Carolina high school football’s tradition involves honoring their faculty members in a very special way.
“Emerald High School now has a new game day tradition called ‘My Jersey. Your Impact,’” a Facebook post for the team said. “For each home game, senior football players select and surprise a faculty member who has made an impact on them during their years at EHS and ask that individual to wear their uniform throughout the school day.”
The post went on to describe how the team hands out their jersey.
“Today, several faculty members were surprised and excited by the gratitude and appreciation the players showcased with this surprise recognition. What an amazing impact our faculty and staff make each day on our students.”
