The sun beats down on his back as he crouches down in the specific position.  The ball is punted and he takes off.  Running, pushing faster and faster, he races across the field towards his opponent, intent on the takedown.  As he nears his target, he can already imagine his rival crushed under the weight of his tackle.  Adrenaline rushes through his veins as his breathing becomes heavier and his body is pushed to its full extent.  He can feel the victory already, but as his arms stretch out to deadlock the other player, he can feel the air stop moving through his mouth and the heavy breathing becomes choking as the air fails to reach his lungs.  He becomes stuck in a seemingly endless lack of air.  It feels like he is sinking in sand and the air above him has forgotten its purpose.  This is what it is like for freshman football player Colton Kabetzke.

Kabetzke has a condition called Laryngeal Spasm which is an involuntary contraction of the vocal chords.  It occurs differently in various people, but for him, it’s overexertion in physical activities.  For Kabetzke, this is often a problem when playing football.  However, Kabetzke said he isn’t affected in attitude by it.

“My throat starts to close up,” Kabetzke said. “I can exhale, but I can’t inhale.  I just keep pushing through it.  You get used to it.”

Though it happens often, it does not occur every time he plays, and he has never had a serious attack while playing an actual game.

“It doesn’t really affect me,” Kabetzke said.  “I don’t really think about it.”

However, Colton said he is intent on not letting this condition get to him, despite the fact that he has had several minor incidents during practice.

“The coaches don’t really do anything,” Kabetzke said.  “But the other players freak out.”

Teammates said that it is frightening to see Kabetzke when he is struggling through an attack.

“The first time I saw it happen, I was freaking out,” freshman Nathan Zebley said.  “I kept thinking, is Colton going to be okay?”

While football poses a risk, Colton said he plans to continue playing.

“It’s a fun physical sport,” Colton said.  “It’s just something you have to go through, and it makes you that much stronger.”