Playing football for Glendale Junior College in 1969, Glendale, Arizona


Time-travel with me. Today in my imagination I will be playing football for Glendale Junior College in 1969. In this story I'm a graduate of Maryvale High School and I'm about to run onto Matt O. Hanhila Field, at Glendale Junior College, which is at 63rd Avenue and Olive in Glendale, Arizona. Just to clarify, this isn't me, it's just a story. I was never that tough!

Glendale Junior College is only four years old, and I'm glad to be there. It's a beautiful Arizona day, although it's about 100 degrees, but that's OK, I'm tough! I'm born and raised in Phoenix, so the heat doesn't bother me. Well, not much, it may be 101, or it may only be 99, I really don't know.

There's the coach, Carl Rollins! He looks like a tough guy, and I suppose he'll push us. He reminds me a little of Vince Lombardi, so I'll be listening to him! I'll admit to being a little nervous earlier today, but now that I'm on the field it feels great. This probably won't be any tougher than it was in high school, and that was always pretty easy for me. Waitaminute, who's that girl over there? She... oops, I think the coach is yelling at us.

The coach just told us to run to the white tanks. What white tanks? I don't see any tanks? OK, the guys are running in a particular direction, I guess we need to get to the other side of the field. White tanks? I wonder if that's some kind of special game language that they use here in Glendale?

Now we're running around the field. Yeah, it's gotta be 101 degrees, maybe even hotter. This was so much easier when I was younger, back in high school. I wonder if I need to lose some weight? Maybe I'll hit the gym after practice today, maybe do some straight-leg sit-ups. I'm pretty sure that you need to do a thousand of them.

Whew! Practice is over, and am I thirsty! But I know that I shouldn't drink any water because that just shows weakness. Just gotta tough it out. I can do this, I'm as tough as nails!

Thank you for time-traveling in my imagination with me today. Go Gauchos!

Note: the White Tanks are the mountains that are west of Glendale, Arizona. Maricopa County Community Colleges discontinued football where they were played, at Phoenix, Glendale, Mesa, and Scottsdale Community Colleges as of 2018.

 Image at the top of this post: Glendale Gauchos football players in 1969.
As read by voice over performer Mike Binder 

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