The flag football season has been full of exciting moments, and much of their success has came from strong leadership. Madison Cason; Senior, is one of the captains on the team. “As a captain it is a bit nerve wracking because I hold a bit more pressure than the rest of my teammates,” She adds, “Making sure that I keep a level head while also keeping my teammates in check isn’t an easy task,” Madison explained. Part of handling that pressure starts before the game even begins. “The team and I meet two hours before the game,” she stated. They then use that time to relax and to finish getting ready before warming up about an hour before the kickoff. “This helps us stay loose and start getting into the mindset for game time,” She said.

Her personal game plan was simple but important. “My goal was to stay calm and make sure I was playing the best way I could. I knew I would make mistakes, but I made sure to brush them off and move on to the next play.” She also focused on supporting her teammates and cheering them on during both good and bad plays. Going into the match, Madison focused on keeping an unbiased mindset. “I kept an open mind because I wasn’t sure what the outcome would be. Obviously we wanted to win, but I made sure we stayed neutral and not too cocky,” she said. By keeping that attitude, the team was able to push through small mistakes and keep their confidence throughout the game. The teams performance was impressive during the game. “Our offense executed beautifully, and our defense had some amazing stops,” she said proudly. While she was happy with the team’s performance, Madison is always looking to improve. “Personally, I want to improve my route running. Making sure that I stay on my route is very important for the offense to run smoothly.” Above all, her experience taught her about leadership. “This past game really taught me how to be there for my teammates on a personal level,” she said. “Picking their heads up after a missed ball or hyping them up after a flag pull goes a long way. The motivation doesn’t need to be extreme, but it needs to make an impact.”