For the past couple of weeks I’ve been struggling under the immense weight of a difficult choice. For quite a while now I haven’t had to make any sort of decision above the magnitude of, say, boxers vs. briefs. But since I decided to leave Colorado College and continue my football career elsewhere, the field of potential schools quickly narrowed down to a few excellent choices.

The decision became especially excruciating when I eliminated all but two schools. One school offered (among other things) an amazing location, a championship record, and countless networking opportunities for my possible future career sports media. Having spent two weeks working at NFL Films now, I’ve come to understand even more the need for good connections in order to enjoy a successful career. I quickly identified this school as my “head” choice, the school that I would attend were I simply going off of logic.

My other choice did not happen to be located in a thriving media market. The winters there are brutal, and the surrounding town consists of roughly 14,000 happy (if sometimes cold) citizens. When I visited this school I was overwhelmed by how much I already felt at home. I connected with all of the people there instantly and felt a bond with the school. Thus, this choice was internally labeled as the “heart” choice.

If I had listened to pretty much any motivational speaker on the planet, I would have “gone with my heart.” I consider this saying trite and overused, especially considering how often it is said and how seldom it is actually done. Going with your heart is difficult when presented with a choice that seems a clear-cut path to a great career. This decision tormented me for the last few days like few things ever have. Both choices presented prospective happiness and success, but I was completely unable to decide where I would be better off. And in order to know where I’d be better off, I had to understand my priorities and what “better off” actually meant to me.

Thus, in the past week I was forced to do a lot of praying and soul-searching. Deciding where I’d go to college was easy the first time around, but a year later I find myself making decisions at a much deeper level. After all of the tribulations and deliberations, I made my decision. I went with my heart and my gut.

I’m going to Grinnell.

For those who don’t know, Grinnell is located in a small town called (you guessed it) Grinnell, Iowa. The facilities there are superb in addition to superb academics (the school is ranked higher than CC), but the reason I’m going there is the community. The people at Grinnell, especially those associated with the football team, were the kind of people who make me willing to endure the sickening prospect of an Iowa winter (which I’ve been told is nothing less than miserable from a meteorological perspective).

Simply put, I feel like Grinnell is where I am supposed to be. Despite the career-related opportunities that might have been available in other locations and with other schools, I decided that by going where I feel like God wants me to be, everything else will be taken care of. After getting an internship with NFL Films while at Colorado College (which is not quite located in a mecca of sports journalism), I’ve become a firm believer that things will work out for me regardless of location as long as I am in a place where I am truly happy.

Since I’ve chosen Grinnell, I’ve focused my attention on the upcoming season. It’s great to finally know where I’m playing so that I can start getting mentally ready for camp. Although I’ve been working hard in the weight room it’s not the same when you don’t even know where you’ll be playing; now my efforts in preparing to dominate this year will be doubled. Above all else, a big motivator in the weight room is being accountable to your teammates, and I’m going to have some great guys to bleed with at Grinnell.

It’s been over two months since CC cut football, and I am happy to regain the part of myself that I temporarily lost when the decision was made; it is the part of me that looks forward to another torturous training camp and another year of competition with a bunch of great guys. That’s all that any D3 player can ask for, and I’m beyond glad to have it again.

Questions? Comments? E-mail me at chris@thed3experience.com All original material copyright © 2008-2009 Chris Jarmon

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Posted: 05|30|09 at 12:02 am. Filed under: My Life as a D3 Player.
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