How is learning about chemical reactions "like stepping out onto the field for the game for the first time? "

It is something new for everyone that can be a rather hard concept to grasp. You have to learn rules such as the Law of Conservation of Mass, and learn why they are important in determining chemical reactions. One wrong step and everything could be screwed up. 

You also have to learn how elements react with each other and how to do reactions, rather it be synthesizing or decomposing with each other, and figuring out where the elements go. You also have to learn how reactions tie into so many things, from solutions to gas laws to stoichiometry.

This is like stepping out onto a field for the first time, because in a sports game you have to know the rules to correctly play the game, and learn to react with your teammates and work together to win the game. In both scenarios there is a lot of tying together and rules to understand! :)