I’ve never played for a national championship. When I was a child, I jumped rope on a team en route to a team-wide national championship, but I didn’t have much of an effect on that outcome. I was mainly along for the ride, there to enjoy Disney World and cheer on my more-skilled teammates.
I’ve never played for a national title, so I have no words to express what that must feel like. I remember the pregame nerves in low-level high school football; I couldn’t imagine how it feels to take the field with a shot at a ring.