The Video Girl

Two and a half years ago I started working for the JSU Football team. None of the players knew who I was to begin with.

I distinctly remember one of the players yelling, "Hey video girl! Take my pic." I replied, "learn my name and I'll take your picture," and I walked away.

I was offended he didn't take the time to learn my name and called me video girl. Flash forward two years and now everyone calls me that and I love it. 

As I went through my freshman and sophomore year at JSU I didn't really feel like it was where I was suppose to be or as though I was searching for something more. I didn't really have a lot of friends or had joined a sorority, so I just felt disconnected from college. I would seriously go to class, work, and go home. 

I had gotten a leadership scholarship and it lasted for two years. So after two years I started emailing coaches and staff trying to see if there were any openings for managers with any of the sports. I contacted sports media and randomly the video coordinator for the football team.

Got two replies. Volleyball & Football.

Volleyball which I loved in high school and wanted to coach one day. And football which I knew nothing about and had only gone to games to socialize. So the easy choice was: Volleyball.

Or so I thought.

I met with the volleyball coach and the video coordinator with the football team. I had plenty of experience with volleyball (even coached at my high school freshman year of college), but I knew not one thing about video or football.

For some reason I felt drawn to football. *Spoiler Alert* I chose football. Jk. You all know that. 

Anyways, spring 2015 I started coming to practice and I was up in the press box filming coaches film which in my opinion is a lot more boring than what I do. Over the summer we lost our post production guy and my wonderful boss Brian, asked if I knew how to make videos.

"No. But I can learn."

And I watched YouTube tutorials and made my first video the first day of fall camp of the 2015 season. From there I became the video girl. I continued to make highlights and a name for myself. I found my place. 

I am thankful for JSU Football.

It gave me exactly what I needed. I felt like I belonged somewhere again and really helped shape who I am today. The relationships I made through football will be with me for a lifetime. Video guys, players, coaches, student coaches, trainers, everyone. I have made so many BEST friends that I am so thankful for. 

My life would be drastically different if I had gone to play college volleyball or chose to be the JSU volleyball manager or even had not sent that email to the football video coordinator. Or had he not hired me cause I'm a girl. (No girls had worked there before *insert hair flip*)

You never know where life will take you. Just keep going. It's okay to not have a plan or to not know exactly where you are headed. I thought I was going to end up as a Highschool Biology Teacher coaching volleyball and somehow I ended up being a Geographer making a living off videography and photography. I have learned to just live and let life happen. Never get so caught up planning what's next you miss life happening right in front of you. 

I never understood football or cared about it at all. But now football has a whole new meaning to me. It gave me a place to fit in when I was feeling lost and helped me pursue things I never had before. Find an opportunity that helps you grow as a person and take it. 

I am who I am today because of JSU Football.

- The Video Girl