Most local high school football fans went to see their team play Friday, maybe enjoyed a hot dog and a soft drink at the game, maybe clapped or yelled a little bit, then went home. End of story.

If only it were that easy for everyone else involved with making the game happen. We know the players and coaches put in some time each day after school, but that is far from the end of it.

This week, I’ve gotten a little taste of all the work other than practice that goes into producing a game. In today’s newspaper, there is a story about a new reserved seating section at Chilton County High’s Tiger Stadium. Guess who had to find seats for sale online then install them? That’s right, the same coach that has to get his team ready to play a football game every week in addition to teaching school.

My work also took me to Isabella this week, and who would you think was painting the lines on the field? The most amazing thing about the two coaches I’m referring to, Brian Carter at CCHS and Lanny Jones at Isabella, is that both have families and still manage to put in as many hours as they do at work.

And these two coaches are hardly the exception. All the other coaches in the county can be found in the same position. An even more amazing thing about some of them is that they are volunteers.

The amount of time devoted by coaches and players alike is one reason to support a local football program. Carter expressed a sincere wish to get the entire Clanton community involved with CCHS football at Tuesday’s meeting (see the story on page 10 for more information) because there is much more one can do than just show up at games and pay to get in. And, make no mistake, football can be good for the community.

A team can give residents a since of pride and purpose, and the discipline and hard work necessary to be a successful football player translates well into being a successful resident in the future.