Letter to Younger Self: Brandon Blake's High School Journey

Dear 14-year-old Brandon,

Right now, you’re probably sitting in front of a screen, controller in hand, completely losing track of time. You’re comfortable in that shell. You’re quiet, you’re independent to a fault, and you think high school is just some distant concept you’ll figure out when you get there.

Put the controller down for a second. We need to talk.

You’re about to take a massive leap. When you walk through the doors at O’Dea, the world is going to get a lot bigger, a lot faster, and a lot heavier. You’re going to have to grow up. You’re going to have to stop procrastinating, look yourself in the mirror, and start making decisions that actually build you into the man you want to become.

And look, I’m going to be honest with you… it’s going to start with a shock to the system.

Freshman year, you’re going to decide to put on a helmet and pads and try football. It is going to be brutal. It’s going to demand things from your body and your mind that you’ve never had to give before. There will be days where every single muscle aches, where the conditioning feels impossible, and you are going to want to quit. You’ll look around the locker room and watch your peers walk away because it’s too hard.

Don't you dare follow them.

You aren't built like that. You aren't weak-minded. You’re going to stay in those trenches, and you’re going to keep showing up.

By sophomore year, the game won't necessarily get easier, but you will get better. More importantly, you’re going to feel it… that shift from just being a kid on the team to being part of the Brotherhood. That O’Dea jersey is going to mean something to you. Football isn’t just going to be a sport you play; it’s going to become a massive piece of who you are, shaping your discipline, your grit, and your personality.

"There will be days when every single muscle aches... and you are going to want to quit. Don't you dare."

Next up, Junior year. The peak of your time in high school. You’re going to lock in academically, pulling a 3.6 GPA and mastering what it truly means to be independent. On the field, the hard work pays off. You’re going to earn your spot as a starter on JV. You’re going to cross that goal line and score a few touchdowns, feeling the loud cheers in the stands and the slaps on your helmet. Your aura will skyrocket.

But I need you to stay grounded, Brandon. Because senior year is coming, and it’s going to test you in ways junior year never did.

The classes will get harder. The homework will pile up until you feel like you're drowning under the weight of it, with barely a second of free time during the week. And football? It’s going to hurt. You’ll look at the depth chart before the season starts, and it’s going to look promising. You’ll think it’s your time. But the jump to the varsity level is unforgiving.

If you don't lose your confidence in yourself from day one, if you don't put every single ounce of you on that practice field, the outcome is going to disappoint you. It’s going to be hard to adjust.

But here is the beauty of the O’Dea… even when your personal season doesn’t go the way you pictured in your head, you are part of something bigger than yourself. You’re going to get to celebrate a second state championship with your brothers. And when the final whistle blows on your high school career, because of how grueling the journey was, you’ll realize you’re ready. You’ll be at peace with moving on from the game.

Then comes the real trap.

Once football ends and the college acceptance letters roll in, a dangerous thing called "senioritis" is going to creep up on you. You'll think the hard part is over. You’ll want to coast, slack off on the homework, and slide back into those old middle school habits of putting everything off until tomorrow. You'll feel completely overwhelmed, trying to balance harder classes with an exhausting lack of motivation.

But just like you didn't quit on the field freshman year, you won't fold here either. You are going to lock in and eventually figure out the senior year academics. You’ll learn how to manage the workload independently, proving to yourself that you can handle college-level pressure.

As you finally stand at the edge of graduation, looking out at the unknown, don't be afraid.

You’re going to spend your summer on the turf, giving back to the game by working flag football camps. And come autumn, you’re heading across the state to Pullman to become a Washington State Cougar.

Looking back, you'll realize you didn't actually waste your childhood behind that screen. Sitting in that room as a kid, you just hadn't found the thing worth fighting for yet. Football, O'Dea, and the classroom gave you that.

You’re going to make me proud, kid. You’re going to stop wasting time, break out of your shell, and become a leader.

Keep your head up. You're going to be completely fine. The best is yet to come.

—Brandon