When people think of football, they most likely think of jacked-up guys hitting each other mercilessly while the weather is below freezing and the wind chill is sub-zero. There are football players who perform like that, but they play in the NFL and have more adrenaline than I have ever had in any point in my life.

I have played two years of JV football during my time in high school, and considering the season goes from mid-August to early-November, we don’t really experience much cold weather out on the gridiron. Even though on average the coldest it gets during the football season is around 40°F, it feels pretty awful because players like me are used to playing in temperatures mostly above 70°F for a hefty portion of the season.

There are a number of reasons I’m not a fan of playing football in the cold, especially at practice. I played wide receiver and defensive back these past two seasons, which are positions that require a lot of catching. When it got cold out, my hands always stung like crazy whenever I went for a grab.

Also, whenever I’d get tackled in the chill, it stung a ton, especially when I hit the cold, hard ground. My last reason I really don’t like cold weather during football is because it’s harder to get loose and perform at full speed. When I’d start to play, it would take me a good ten plays just to get going without feeling weighed down and tense.

However, this is just my opinion, and I’m sure there are a ton of other football players who disagree with me, so I asked some of my fellow sophomore teammates from the JV team about their opinions on cold weather and football:

“Cold weather sucked because whenever you tackled someone, it always stung. And it was just annoying when I’d wear thermal stuff and it would get too hot. On top of that, it hurts a lot to catch the ball, too.” –Johnny Almuette, sophomore (defensive Back, running Back)

“It was annoying at first, but once you get into it, you get used to it and enjoy it.” – Andrew DiPaula, sophomore (lineman)

“I like the cold because I get overheated less easily so I have more energy. Also, it’s easier to snap the ball when it isn’t all sweaty.” – Nick Vucci, sophomore (center, lineman)

“It’s not that bad because I hate when it’s too hot and my pads weigh me down. But then again, it stings more to hit people and the ground feels really hard when it’s colder out, so I’m sort of in between with my opinion.” – Aldrich Defino, sophomore (defensive End, offensive Line)

“I don’t prefer it, but I will play in it. I don’t like how it stings a lot when you get hit, but defensive players tend to play tentative in the cold.” -Tyrell Cook, sophomore (wide Receiver, defensive back)

“I liked how I didn’t need much water, but I disliked how my body froze up when I stood still too long.”- Ryan Hutter, sophomore (kicker)

There are many differing views and preferences when it comes to chilled temperatures and the pigskin, but according to my fellow teammates, the general consensus is that football is better played in comfortable temperatures.