I have been trying to think of if I raised my kids over again how would you squeeze all the potential out of them for football and set them up to succeed.
I would set a yearly budget of about 15k to train the kid (270k lifetime), how would you spend it?
Camps, private lessons, workouts?
Think Rocky 4 with the Russian lol
MY approach would be much like I did with my son and baseball. He played football to have something to do in the fall. He was all about baseball. I provided hitting instruction with clemsons all-time HR leader, who was also a lefty so he worked on throwing mechanics as well. When we moved, he would have an occasional refresh with a local HS asst coach who was an ex-Reds/Braves player. He was not forced or over fed. But, he always looked good at the plate. lol. This approach did not get him in the Bigs, or even college rosters because he knew he wouldn't pro regardless and saw no need to put himself through all that in college for no good reason. He did it his wasy, had fun with it in HS, was a solid better than average two-sport player, retired after graduation, and is now a Bio Chem major at a really good school doing what he likes. It's all about the parents sanity as well. I know couples that literally were on the brink of bankruptcy hitting every camp, travel league, getting kids in all-star football games. Moving around to get them into different rosters where they'd always start. The works. Crazy obsessed stuff. One did get to play at ND. Tore knee up. Portaled to Coastal. Tore knee up again. Got healthy. Controlled play last year. Starting TE this year. Week before opening game, tore other knee up, third time. Other son...didn't even want to go to college. All for naught. At the end of the day, everything is pretty well all over and they got nothing to show for it. Never, ever project what you wanted to do and couldn't through your kids.
1. Most important...do not be that dad and burn them out on the sport. Case in point is my nephew. Was a pro level pitching talent. Throwing mid-90's with nasty off spead in 10th grade. Travel all too. The whole works. Burned out. Quit. But, had standing offers from Ga Southern and West GA for full rides if he decided to start playing again when the coaches found out he was on campus.
2. The physical side of the game is a natural gift. Your kids commitment to maximizing his conditioning to take advantage of that is in his court.
3. Find trainers that teach game knowledge and solid mechanics. The waste lands of college athletics are littered with unwordly talent that couldn't execute or wouldn't take that seriously.
4. Provide balance. Take them fishing. Take them camiping or whatever. Prepare them for a life that does not revolve around sports. Only a small percentage make it past HS, and even smaller past college.
