When hundreds of people pack the stands every Friday night, the LHS football team takes the field. The crowd remains unaware of the hard work that has led up to their performance. The pre-season consists of double practices daily, film watching, and conditioning and lifting all under the blazing sun. 

“Summer practices really helped prepare us for the season. They were really hard practices that made us focus and push ourselves to get us in the right mindset,” said junior Gabe Motschenbacher. 

With tough practices comes a common mental block seen in athletes. Putting in the work is one of the many phases that test how these athletes will face adversity and the mental side of the game. 

“In the beginning of the season, I felt burnt out when the work got more and more tiring,” said sophomore Jack Barss. “I then talked to my coaches and they helped me see what my job really is on this team.” 

Not only do the Pacer football players have to put on their best performance to represent the school, but they also have to manage to stay on top of their school work, making time to study, rest properly, and still putting in that extra work to be the best version of themselves on the field. 

“You have to follow a very strict schedule. Not getting home until late, there’s not a whole lot of time for homework. It forces us to manage our time accordingly outside of school and practice,” said senior Tristan Davis. 

Hard work, mental blocks, and managing a productive student-athlete life are only some of the many skills our Pacer football players experience as they continue their season with a record of 2-2.