Prior to training camp, you may have been on vacation or spending time with friends and family. But the fun is over the moment you are given your training camp room key. This is where the sweat and tears start. This is where nervous butterflies give you a constant uneasy feeling in your gut.

You start training camp by meeting with other players and coaches. There is a nervous excitement in the air and it seems that all the players have some jitters. Your mind plays games against your confidence and you find yourself asking questions like, “Am I really good enough to play in the pros?” “What will I do if I don’t make the team?” “What if I can’t remember the plays we are taught?” “What happens if I get sick or injured?”

Then you get your schedule and it tells you where to go and meet. The schedule tells you that your first meeting is a team meeting with the head coach, staff, trainers, and the team owner. This is it. Training camp has officially started. It’s time to get to work and prove yourself. Psych yourself up. You are the best. You are going to do great and impress everybody. You are going to make the team and become a starter. You are a professional football player!