Clark Birchmeier and Phillip Buchanon’s short film, Practice Squad, explores what drives us to cross that finish line when our dreams seem just out of reach. Athlete Brandon Barnes plays for his hometown professional football team but isn’t on the active roster—he’s part of the practice squad.
The short opens with Barnes alone on the football field early in the morning. He runs drill after drill with relentless determination. Unbeknownst to him, the team’s head coach watches from afar before eventually calling him over for a chat. Why are you here so early? What drives you?’ the coach asks, encouraging him to keep it up.
“…runs drill after drill with relentless determination…”
In a culture that tells us to sit back and wait for opportunity to come to us, Practice Squad urges us to be prepared and be ready for opportunity. You never know when that big break will present itself to you. Be prepared. Behind our hero’s drive to achieve his dream, Birchmeier and Buchanan reveal the true motivation behind his passion: family.
As a short film, Practice Squad delivers a touching and inspiring message about staying on the right path in life—especially for youth athletes striving toward their dreams.
"…why are you here so early? What drives you?"
