Real Results of Foam Fighting

Essay Contest 3rd Place – Taylor Goranson

I started fighting in 2010 at the University of North Florida. In college I felt weird about being a nerd. I have always been described as “quirky,” but in college I was very “quirky.” Within my first year of foam fighting I went to my first camp out and I learned that socializing is part of foam fighting. Through my years in foam fighting, socializing with other people in the game helped me gain confidence to interact with new people. Outside of foam fighting I began making friends with other people from different backgrounds. I still tour manage and stage manage our rock band. While I was in college, I was invited to start studying leadership to receive the University of North Florida’s Leadership Certificate. I had to study leadership and team work. Foam fighting was a great hobby to learn about how people work together. Fighting and camping as a unit takes a lot of team work and communication. I took what I learned from foam fighting to create a leadership hypothesis and earn the Leadership certificate. I still use what I learned from foam fighting and leadership when working with my rock band and in my professional career. I’m an Elementary School Behavior Site Coach. My job consists of running an Emotional Behavioral Disorder department at an elementary school in Florida. I have 4 classrooms, each one has a teacher, 2 assistants, and 8 students. I teach students how to manage behaviors and I teach teachers how to manage students. Communication and team work is key in school department managing and rock band managing.

“I did not know that Medieval Style Fighting Elementary School Teacher Rockstar was an option.”

It took a long time and a lot of effort to join KOTOS, or The Keepers of The Obsidian Stag. It involved a lot of self-improvement, making new friends, and pushing myself physically as a fighter. I had physical trials and tasks that I had to complete to get to the next level. To complete my tasks, I had to find time while teaching and working in music. After a few years and a lot of hard work I completed all of my tasks and physical trials. I reached my goal of being a good fighter and I still wanted to get better at fighting. Then I needed surgery to fix my labrum, a part of my shoulder that holds it together. Recovery took 6 months. After 3 months I started physical therapy My responsibility to support and fight with my team pushed me to go through rehabilitation. I am 33 years old and I am in the best mental and physical shape of my life.

Everyone is asked what they want to be when they grow up. I did not know that Medieval Style Fighting Elementary School Teacher Rockstar was an option. The lessons you can learn from foam fighting have the potential to change your life. What you learn from them can help you exceed your own expectations of what you can achieve and accomplish.

See all of the Essay Contest winners here.