Football Never Saved Your Life

We have all heard it before—professional athletes telling their story about how football helped them make it through a troubled childhood. They talk about all the negative things they could have easily done instead and died or went to prison. Sometimes it’s a short interview and other times it’s a full movie. It always ends the same: football, or some other sport, “saved my life.”

I emphatically hate that narrative.

It’s far too vague. It doesn’t give credit to the people and opportunities that child was given. And it has also pigeonholed entire communities.

The reason I hate this narrative is too many children associate being successful or the ability to create a better life solely with sports. When 99% of youth football players will never play a down in college this is a dangerous narrative to project onto young children. In fact, only about 50% will even play in high school. When children are taught that football or sports is the only way out or the only thing that can save you from the streets, what happens when it is gone? What happens when they aren’t as good anymore and it’s no longer fun? What happens if they sustain an injury or become academically ineligible? What happened in this year of COVID when football was canceled in so many areas?

I’ll admit, I was an advocate for having football this year because I believed many kids would make terrible decisions with the added free time. I also believed kids who did well in school so that they could play football would lose their drive. I understand that being able to play football and pursue a dream motivates many young individuals. But the latter is not emphasized enough. We, myself included, have placed such an emphasis on football and not the dream, that we have misguided a lot of children.

What really saves children is not some inanimate object. The savior for these kids is the ability to pursue their passion. The ability to have fun in a structured, positive learning environment helps children make good choices. The opportunity to do something you are good at keeps kids out of the streets. All of those aspects are important. And the truth is, because football has been that passion for some, the appropriate environment for a few, and something a small percentage have been truly good at. We try to make it that way for a whole community of young males and that will never be true.

There are a lot of things kids are better at and would enjoy doing more than football if we provided other avenues. There is  9 year old child somewhere that is playing football because it’s the only extracurricular activity available. It is also what his friends are doing. He’d help build a computer or be painting, but those options aren’t available to him, or his friends. We’ve taught so many children that the only way to ‘escape’ is through football. However, the true way to escape is through your passion; whatever that passion may be. For some, that passion is football. But we have got to do a better job of providing kids with different opportunities to discover and pursue their passions too.

I am by no means advocating kids stop playing football. I love football. Football is a great experience and learning opportunity for most kids. However, I am advocating that we stop doing, just football. Especially at the younger ages. Kids need to play multiple sports and/or be involved in some science, art, technology, etc. programs. I wish summer school was mandatory for all kids and it had very little to do with traditional learning curriculums. Kids need more opportunity to explore careers and information they don’t see at home or on a normal basis.

The Ability to Pursue Your Passion

Football is the number one sport in this country.  People love to watch it and people love to play it. Young kids love football so much because they see how heavy their parents are into it. Before they can walk we put a ball in their hand. We play catch as soon as those feet hit the ground. For many kids, it’s the first sport they know and at a young age they develop a passion for it. As a result, kids identify themselves as football players and part of the culture. They often choose playing football or being a part of football over other things because it’s their passion and who they are.

They make sure they don’t get in trouble or do well in school so they can still play. Football is not just what they do for some, but who they are. It helps them choose that over negative influences. When a man looks, back and says “football saved my life” it’s because choosing those negative influences would have robbed him of his passion. But if we put something else in their hand and mind at a young age, would they choose that passion over those negative influences too?

A Structured, Positive Learning Environment

This is something that football provides many young males. In this environment they get disciplined, they get pushed physically and mentally, they laugh, they fight, they smile, they cry, etc. There are opportunities to fail and retry. There are situations when they must choose to quit or overcome. There are positions when they can be a leader or a follower.  Through it all you hope these young men learn the important life skills of hard work, selflessness, preparation, teamwork, attention to detail, and dedication. And many do, in different levels. Any coach who can instill a level of those skills into a child has done a great thing. When a man looks, back and says “football saved my life” it’s because of those life skills he acquired and used. However, football is not the only place those skills can be acquired.

Opportunity to do What You’re Good at

We are all good at something. More importantly, we all want to feel like we are good at something. At age 7 in football people often tell you that  you are good no matter. Even if you didn’t catch the pass you are affirmed for your effort. Coaches tell kids they can be really good if they keep working. As a result of actual success and/or affirmations kids work hard and enjoy playing football. For some kids, they play football year round, setting goals and achieving them. It’s extremely fun for kid, not just because they love football, but because they are good at it.

A kid is more unlikely to take part in negative choices because they are already doing what they are good at. They get affirmations and experience success at football so they don’t have to chase negative avenues to receive those. For me, this is the most dangerous aspect of the narrative. When a man looks, back and says “football saved my life” it’s because he was still good. In middle school, high school, and for few, college. He was still good enough to receive those affirmations and experience success so he enjoyed football and was able to take away all it had to offer.

But what about those who aren’t good anymore? What about the kids who lose their joy for the game because they aren’t affirmed in that environment anymore. Where do they go get it? Were they offered another option? Did we provide them the opportunity to do something else they’re good at before the streets did?

Football has never saved anybody’s life. But is has certainly put some young men in position to receive the love and guidance they needed. It has definitely provided the opportunity for some young men to pursue their passion and learn life skills. But no matter how great you are at it, it will never last forever and every young man will close that chapter. I hope we provide them with enough tools while they play so that they walk away with knowledge and character to live a good life. But even more, I hope we work harder to provide other opportunities for kids because football ain’t for everybody. And every kid deserves the opportunity to learn what we teach those kids at football  in a structured, positive environment as well. Until next time, B U!