Okay, so you want your kid to be a professional athlete. More importantly, you have already selected his future and placed him as an NFL quarterback! Before you even get started, realize that an estimated 1 in every 500,000 kids will get the chance to suit up as a starting college quarterback, let alone the NFL. There are 32 NFL teams currently. Most have 2-3 quarterbacks on the roster. So imagine being one of the 90 quarterbacks in the entire country who currently play in the NFL. The odds aren’t good. But if you are one of the lucky ones, you could help your son at least pay his way through college with a scholarship to a good University.
Some parents may look at athletics as a form of investment in the future. Not only do sports allow kids to get social skills from being around different types of people but it also can provide an opportunity to keep playing and get a free education. If you decide football is the correct route then be prepared for the immense competition.
My 2 year old can already hurl a football with a spiral across the room but we’re going to let him decide his future path. That is probably the most important thing I can express is to let your kid create his own identity within your framework and boundaries. As much as I love football and that’s what I played in high school, I am certainly willing to let him play soccer,golf, tennis, basketball, baseball or even music if that’s what he decides. But I definitely want him involed in extracurricular activities because that’s so important to his development as a young man. And if he chooses football, then I’ll provide all the help and inspiration I can as I cringe from the stands hoping he doesn’t get hit too hard!
According to the United States Census Bureau the population of the United States was 304,059,724 people in July of 2008. Now the majority of those people probably aren’t even interested in football or playing it as their career. So you can weed out quite a few people there. But that doesn’t mean the competition isn’t going to be fierce.
What will you need for your son to be in the NFL? A whole lot of luck, being in the right place at the right time and one heck of an arm to throw the football. The odds are low even to get a college scholarship but with hard work and determination it can be done. Speed is something you can’t teach. The NFL has combines each year that sometimes weeds out terrific college players based on their times in the 40 yard dash and strength in the weight room. You’re not supposed to have kids lift weights at an early age so I would advise other strength workouts like running, push-ups and pull-ups.
Tossing football in the backyard. There are many dads who can’t be there to toss the football around. I am certainly not going to be that guy. Throwing the football, shooting hoops or playing catch with a baseball are all fundamentally sound ways to help your son or daughter to form great hand eye coordination. A game of catch may sound simple but it allows you to spend some great quality time with your kids and allows them the preparation that could help them in the future with different sports. Hand Eye coordination is huge in any sport and even games like the Wii are helping youngsters gain more control of their movements.
There are camps everywhere these days that allow kids to get the jump on their competition. These camps aren’t free for the most part and to get good advice and showcase your son then you’ll probably need to fork over the dough every now and then. It won’t really always equate to giving them NFL experience but it could help the proper footwork and throwing techniques as they head toward high school.
Knowledge of the game. So watch what the pro’s, college and high school players do and what makes them succesful. Great NFL quarterbacks aren’t always the guys who can throw the ball the longest distance. It helps to be accurate but most NFL scouts will take a guy who is a little less accurate to get a guy who has knowledge of the game. Knowing where a receiver is going to be is sometimes just as important as laying a pass in stride to the receiver. Brett Favre is an example of someone who not only knows the game but is very aware of where his receivers will be on the fly. He might be the best ever at improvising.
Peyton Manning is a great example of someone who studies and studies the NFL game. He and his receivers work hard during the offseason running routes and creating great chemistry. There is a reason Manning is an All Pro quarterback year in and year out and it’s called preparation.
But remember when your kids watch these NFL quarterbacks that they should enjoy them for what they do on the field and not have unrealistic expectations off the field. Learn from how they play the game but don’t anticipate these people you will never really meet are good people. Chances are they may be great people. But I am not a big fan of putting people you’ve never met on a pedestal for being a talented quarterback.
Hard work always beats out raw, natural athleticism. I’ve seen many kids throughout the years with exceptionally gifted skills underachieve because of the lack of effort and learning. I played with several kids in the late 80’s who had more raw skill than anyone on the team but couldn’t learn the offensive structure and play calling when it counted. The professional players will tell you it’s a very complicated game and it gets even more difficult at the NFL level. Michael Vick is an example of someone who has so much raw ability but has never really tapped into it on the NFL level. Not yet anyway.
But the most important way to help hone your kids skills is by getting him involved early. Maybe your son or daughter hasn’t decided what sport they want to play and that’s completely fair and understandable. But if they have an interest in football, the programs start very young. Biddy football leagues are everywhere and offer a chance to find out if football is something they would really love to play. Most coach’s will find a spot on the roster for your son and it might not be at quarterback. Sometimes kids can get stuck in a different position. If they are bigger and slower they might end up on the offensive or defensive line. If they are extremely quick then they might be in the secondary of play wide receiver. These decisions are made fairly early so if you want him to play quarterback then make sure your coach is aware of that and at least get a backup role. Just remember that there are 10 other positions on offense that kids need to play and that is part of being a team. The other positions might not be glamorous but they are huge keys in helping teams win so don’t get too caught up in where your kid plays in youth football.
I’ve seen many many parents complaining about youth coaching and screaming from the stands. That’s just not the kind of support a young guy or girl needs to see in their young development ages. So practice, practice and practice and maybe the variables will fall in line if you’re hoping to raise an NFL quarterback. But always remember that it may not be as important to the little guy whose opinion in the subject really matters the most.
