Thank
you for that wonderful introduction…you read it just as my mother wrote it.
I'd like to thank Sean D'Arcy
and Walter O'Hara for extending this invitation for me to speak at Frank McGuire
Foundation Dinner. First,
I would like to congratulate our four High School Coaches who are being honored
tonight…you are a credit to your families, a credit to your schools, and a credit
to the coaching profession
I
am a very positive person and I know that many coaches here tonight are as well.
I believe you get what you ask for in life. This
reminds me of a story during Roman times when the Romans would throw groups of
people to the lions in the Roman Coliseum. Well this particular day the group
of people had their minister with them and he was leading the pack as the lions
were chasing them…he got tired and stopped and prayed. As the lions were charging
him be prayed," Lord please make these lions believers." The lions stopped
charging immediately and bowed their heads…The lions then said, "Lord thank
you for this meal we are about to receive."
Ask
for what you want…but be specific….
It
has been said that "Man doesn't plan to fail, but he fails to plan". So at the
ripe old age of six years old, I made my plan. I was watching a football game
between Ohio State and Michigan…and I asked my mother how is it that you get to
play on television in front of 80,000 people.
"Scholarship"
she said.
"What's
a scholarship I asked."
"Get
good grades, plays sport well, and you can go to college for free."
"
Wait a minute…all I have to do is get good grades, play sports and I can go to
college for free?"
"Yes son," she replied.
"I
am going to get one of those scholarships," I said.
My
mother looked at me with that sweet mother smile, and said, "I'm sure you
will!!!"
But that was my dream, and that was my goal… As you well know, "no man is an island"
and it "takes a village to raise a child". I learned some key lessons from people
along my journey.
Lesson
1: from my Grandmother
Boy, get something in your head…education. Knowledge
is power and once you have an education, no one can take it away. She knew…that
people would forget about the records I set, the number that I wore, and some
people would even forget my name, but she knew that every time I spoke people
would know if I was educated.
Lesson
2: from my Grandfather
If you don't work, you don't eat. I like to eat, so
I have always worked.
Lesson 3: from my Father
He taught me about pride, dignity an strength…and
most importantly, how to be a man and a father…he taught me to live my life so
no one looks down on me and so that I don't look down on anyone. The lesson was:
In life…you don't get something for nothing and you get out of life what you put
into it. (Duke - Trust Fund)
Lesson
4 from my High School Coach (Roy W. Barnes) -
There are six inches between
a pat on the back and kick in the butt…always work hard to achieve your goals,
but be humble during the process.
I have also learned that there is no substitute for good manners…not to ever forget
to say please, thank you, excuse me, and you're welcome.
13 1/2 Years at the NFL
I have worked at
the National Football League for 13 1/2 years… in various capacities, but nothing
has given me greater pleasure than being able to develop programs that can help
young people fulfill their dreams. As the Senior Director NFL's Youth Football
Department, I am very fortunate to serve in a role that is very similar to high
school coaching. Our mission is to use the sport of football as a catalyst to
promote positive youth development and to address societal issues such as delinquency,
juvenile crime, and health issues.
The
NFL operates numerous programs for youth such as Punt, Pass, and Kick…NFL FLAG,
and NFL Junior Player Development. We also operate the NFL Youth Football Fund,
which is a $150MM Fund (501 (c) ( 3), non-profit organization founded by the NFL
and the NFL Players Association that provides grant programs to promote positive
youth development. But our goal at the NFL is not for youngsters to participate
in our programs and become professional football players.
If that were to happen then that is a bonus…we would rather see young people use
the life lessons that they derive from playing in football or any sport to help
better their lives. Our hope is that through participation in these programs youngsters
will become better people…better doctors, better lawyers, better teachers and
most importantly…better citizens.
At the NFL, we do a lot of research…and we do a lot of research about Youth sports…and
we have found out that there is some good news and some bad news about Youth sports.
The
Good News
The
Good news is that more young people are playing sports at the youth level than
ever before…6 - 18 Basketball (10MM), Soccer (9.5MM), Baseball (7.5MM) and football
with (7MM playing tackle and playing Flag) according to the SGMA (Sporting Goods
Manufacturing Association).
The Bad News
The
bad news is though…that 70% of young people are quitting sports by the age of
12. Well…we wanted to know why kids were quitting sports and try to use their
responses to help us devise new methods in teaching the sport of football. This
is what we found…. Some of the reasons….
It
is not fun.
There
is too much standing around.
The
Coach is always yelling.
Parents
are too intense at games.
Specialization….kids
play only one sport year round.
Burn-out…there
are too many games, and they are too serious.
Seven
Guiding Principles
As
a result of this research we developed seven guiding principles that represent
our philosophy for developing NFL Youth Programs.
1.
Make it Fun…regardless if it is a game or practice, it should be fun. This takes
some creativity by the coaches and parent to develop games and some low-key competitions
to teach the basic fundamentals.
2. Limit Standing Around…this is a common problem with youth sports and turns
kids off. Run fast-paced and interactive practices…kids don't come to practice
to watch others play.
3.
Everybody Plays…sports at the youth level should be inclusive. It is never fun
to watch others play…youth sports should be an equal learning experience.
4.
Teach Every Position to Every Participant…don't pigeon-hole kids in one particular
position based on physical size. Each child grows at a different rate…smaller
kids may develop later and larger kids may have reached their maximum size.
5.
Emphasize the Fundamentals…build a foundation that will never crack by properly
teaching the basics. Learning fundamentals and perfecting the same basics at every
level is essential to a child's success.
6.
Incorporate a Progression of Skill Development for Each Participant…regardless
of a player's skill level; it is the responsibility of the coach to help every
kid on the team…if kids experience improvement in their sport, they will continue
to participate.
7.
Yell Encouragement, Whisper Criticism…keep it positive…never tolerate negative
comments by your players, coaches or parents. Kids don't need to have a mistake
compounded by a negative comment…they need feedback on how to correct the mistake
with supportive encouragement. These basic guiding principles have helped us develop
new and innovative methods to teach the game of football….and I believe that they
can be applied to the teaching of any sport. If we teach kids in a fun manner…they
will continue to participate.
Play
It Smart Program
One
program that I would like to mention is the National Football Foundation's Play
It Smart Program…currently being run in over 100 high schools across the country.
Play It Smart
is a program that places an academic coach with the high school football team
to address academic and social development of the players (expanded to other sports
also). Play It Smart has had tremendous success. Currently graduating 98% of the
athletes (most high schools are graduating 74% students) and 85% of those graduating
are going to college compared to 60% of the regular student population.
I am a firm believer in the power of strong mind and strong body and I am a believer
in the power of sports. I am an example of what a great coach and motivator can
do for young person.
I
have played for a Pro Football Hall of Famer (Raymond Berry), I have played for
a Heisman Trophy winner and a great college coach (Steve Spurrier), but if my
high school coach Roy Barnes called me tomorrow and said Cedric, I have a game
next week and we are using cars to light the field…I would be there in an instant.
That is the type of love and respect that I have for my high school coach.
I
challenge you who are in attendance today to go back and reaffirm your commitment
to mentoring, teaching, and coaching our young people. Show them the right way
to do things in life. Encourage them to follow their dreams. Tell them not to
listen to negative people who tell them that they can't…because people will.
When
I was in high school people told me that I wasn't smart enough to attend Duke
University or a school similar to Duke (but I graduated with honors), they told
me that I couldn't play football at Duke or in the NFL (but I became an All-American
and played nine years in the NFL and played in Super Bowl XX) and one teacher
even had the audacity to tell me that she would see me back in my hometown before
the grass turns brown.
Now
if you live in North Carolina…it doesn't take long for that to happen from summer
to fall. Well when I graduated from Duke, I went back to her classroom and I asked
to speak to her outside of her classroom. I showed her my diploma and I told her
that the grass was still green in my backyard.
You
see, I don't believe that there are many bad youngsters, but rather as adults
we don't afford them enough opportunities to do positive things with their lives.
Remember kids
don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.
In closing, I would like to leave you with some words of wisdom that my father
always gave to my mother just before she departed for the beauty shop.
That
is…best of luck to you!
