There is nothing quite like the thrill of playing high school football in the playoffs.  The reason is quite simple: win and you keep playing, lose and your season—and maybe your football-playing career as well, are over.

 The playoffs give teams from all over the state a chance to compete against the best of the best and find out where they really stack up.  It is one thing to be among the best teams in your area, it is an entirely different thing to achieve success on a state-wide level.

Keep in mind as your seasons come to an end, whether you made the playoffs or not, that you are likely one of the lucky ones that will get the opportunity to continue playing football at the next level in college.  For many of your high school teammates, the last high school game represents the last time they will put on a helmet and shoulder pads.  All good things come to an end, and football is no different, so you need to savor every second.

Whether or not your team is in the playoffs, visiting colleges that you are interested in attending and watching them play a game is a great idea.  Only by going to a game can you really see the atmosphere in the stadium and on campus for gameday.

 Even though the football atmosphere isn’t the most important factor in picking a college, it certainly is something to consider.  College football is a huge time commitment and the games are the reward.  Going to colleges firsthand allows you to see what that reward really looks like.