The Junior World Championship is a new experience for the players of Team USA. It's an opportunity to play with some of the best high school players in the United States, as well as some of the best young players in the world. The experience is also a chance to prepare for the next phase: college.
Noel Grigsby, wide receiver for Team USA from Los Angeles, will attend San Jose State in the fall. Although Grigsby has yet to play a down for the Spartans, the JWC experience has been a good challenge and has provided encouragement for what's to come in Division I football.
"My experience has been great," Grigsby said. "I've met new people, some who are from California as well, and new friends. I'm under great leaders and great coaches. I'm learning a lot of different things."
Grigsby said he appreciates the opportunity playing football has given him. He is representing his community, family, friends and the state of California by playing in the JWC tournament. The experience is also preparing him well for college football.
"I'm ready for college football earlier," he said. "It (playing on Team USA) lets me know what I'm doing well and where I can improve."
Playing with other athletes who will play football in college also helps Grigsby improve his game. When he begins his collegiate career at San Jose State, he won't have to go through the same transition as other freshmen.
"My teammates teach me how to compete," he said. "There's a lot of good competition out there playing for the U.S."
A popular topic among the USA Football Junior National Team is the stellar play of the defense - Grigsby lines up against some pretty talented cornerbacks.
"It's the best defense the players have ever seen," he said. "A lot of speed, a lot of strength. Our defense gets our offense ready, and it makes playing against the other defenses easier."
The great talent level of Team USA showed in a 78-0 romp against France on Saturday. Although such a win may make it difficult to find areas in which to improve, Grigsby said the team can still grow.
"This is a good start to help us see how good we are and how we can improve," he said. "The game still taught us a lot."
Due to its popularity in the United States, children in America can get exposure to football at an earlier age than kids from other countries. Through his days in Canton, Ohio, Grigsby has been able to appreciate how special football really is.
"I think we're fortunate over here in the U.S.," Grigsby said. "We've been able to play at an early age, whereas some of these players from other countries haven't seen competition like this before."
Grigsby plans to continue enjoying his time in Canton and representing Team USA. At the same time, he knows college is ahead and wants to be prepared for that as well. Winning a gold medal with his new football family would make his experience complete, and Grigsby will go above and beyond to help make that happen.
"This is the biggest stage I've ever played on," he said. "I'm raising intensity in everything I do and do it at a higher level."
