What Happens When You Coach Your Kid for Their First Million Dollar Contract

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I wasn’t sure if I was going to write about my son but figured I’d write a follow up to the last article I wrote.

If you don’t know, my son is only a freshman in high school this upcoming school year. But he is no ordinary freshman.

Let me back up a bit. When he was born, he was a typical baby. He came into the world on time with a lot of hair. His head of hair was the only atypical thing about him. But then the next few months were interesting.

When he went in for a medical check-up, his height and weight were in the 100% category. Compared to other babies, he was a big boy. At nine months, people thought he was a 2-year-old. He was that big.

This didn’t stop. He continued to grow. Then when he was 11, he went on a growth spurt. He started to fit in and wear my clothes. I’m not a big guy at 5’11”, 195 pounds.

At the same time, my son said he wanted to play football. What’s funny is I put a tee-ball bat in his hands at six months old. Then my wife and I tried him at other sports such as soccer and basketball but he never really loved those games. So hopes of making my son the next Hank Aaron or LeBron James was out of the question.

Then one day he said he was going to play football at school. I knew he practiced with his friends during recess but didn’t know how much he loved the game. As you know, there is a lot of talk about head injuries in football so my wife and I wear worried but let him play anyway.

He missed most of the first season since he didn’t go to the early football practices. The coach rarely put in bench players that year. I kept my son’s hopes up and repeated he needed to be at practice or talk to the coaches to find out where he needed to be. He needed to be proactive if he was going to be serious about the game.

As a parent, you can’t do everything for your kids. They need to take some responsibility for their actions.

Well, in his eighth-grade year, he finally figured it out. He made practice, and then he came home one day and said he was the starting offensive right guard.

As a dad, I was happy and proud of my son. For someone who didn’t play the previous year, he found a spot on the team and now he was a starter. Throughout the season, he loved the game.

Opposing players didn’t come near my son because he was literally twice their size. Imagine walking up to the actor Rock on a football field. That’s how it looks with some players my son’s age compared to him. He’s a giant.

Throughout the year, I had to coach my son. The football coach is looking out for the team but as a parent, you have to continue to encourage your kid.

Maybe my military background helped as well as the years I worked hard to improve my skills playing ice hockey in school. Nothing came easy for me, so I understood what it means to work hard.

For my son, he is a natural. He is already 5’9” and over 200 pounds as a 13-year-old. He’s a little monster already. In addition, he is naturally strong. We haven’t worked on a good weight lifting plan this year because of COVID-19 but he can hold his own on the football field.

My son drew attention from the high school coaches when he practiced with the team last summer. Last summer, I also found an NFL player who held a one day camp in coordination with the NFL. New York Giants guard Will Hernandez was part of the camp and we talked after the training was over. He gave some encouraging words to my son.

Will said, he was big when he was younger and said to work hard and keep practicing.

Then this summer my son was invited to practice with the junior varsity (JV) and varsity team for his high school. At my son’s high school, there are actually three football teams based on grade and skill level. There’s a 9th grade, JV, and varsity teams. So as a freshman, this says something already as only a handful of other freshmen were invited.

As of now, he’s not sure what team he’ll play for when the season starts. He doubts he’ll beat out a junior or senior on the team but I told him anything was possible.

What’s your role as a parent?

Some people think teachers are the answer to everything your child does in school. I have to disagree with this.

Many teachers are overwhelmed, understaffed, and pay out of pocket for school supplies. A class size of 10 is fine but when classes are 20 kids or more, the teacher is limited. The teacher can only do so much.

For parents, you need to support your kid when they play a sport or school in general.

My son already wants to play Division 1 in college. The odds to play there are low but if he stays focused and put up big numbers in high school, it’s possible. He literally needs to be a standout on the team as well as in the league.

I am on a football mailing list which sends out tips for players. Basically, college football coaches want to hear from the players and not the parents. This is possibly the time when your kids grow up in their teens and have the change to play for a college team.

Coaches may or may not respond depending on how busy they are.

The message should be short and to the point. Also, the email subject line is possibly the one highlight that needs to stand out and catch a coaches’ attention.

This sounds easy but it can be harder than it looks.

Tips on Social Media

Most kids have some form of social media by the time they hit high school.

They may not be on Facebook but Snapchat and Instagram are very popular. At least they are for my son. As a prospective high school athlete, their profile should look very good.

Coaches will scan profiles for potential athletes to join them. When the coaches can they’ll spend a few minutes glancing at some prospective students. Anything that stands out on their social media page can send off positive or negative signs.

Just as you appear before someone in an interview, you want to look your best and answer the right questions. That’s how your kid’s social media page will be for a coach. Any rowdy behavior and what your child posts will send a clear message. Foal languages and jokes may not be the best things to highlight.

Positive messages and their best plays in a game send the right tone.

Other Athletes Share Their Lessons

With the rise of social media, most kids know who some of the top sports stars are. After Kobe unexpectedly passed away earlier this year, I sent my son a video.

Kobe’s message is one that breaks it down what an athlete needs to do as well as tips to put in the hard work. Nothing comes easy in life, and the hard work an athlete puts in will pay off.

You don’t have to be the only voice your child hears. Sometimes they may hear it differently from someone else. Use all the tools you need to encourage your child or show them other ways to do something.

Challenge Them to Practice on Their Own

Some kids think they know it all. My son isn’t excluded and thinks he knows everything. Sometimes they’re wrong or don’t know.

On multiple occasions, I had to get my son to put on his running sneakers and go out for a run. To make it even more challenging, I told him to run a hill close to our house. I ran hills when I was in the Army. Just running the hill, challenges you.

Running the hill will push him and it won’t be easy. When he runs on a flat surface, he’ll run a little faster since the elevation isn’t there. It’s a psychological trick to play on your body.

On another occasion when he didn’t feel like running, I challenged him to race me to the stop sign. For someone much older than him, I won and had bragging rights. You may not be an athlete yourself, but find ways to encourage your kids. Some kids don’t understand they need to work their butt off to get better instead of playing hours and hours on a video game.

You have to find a way to encourage them.

To read some other articles on parenting, check out these:

What do you do to encourage your kids?

Tom Handy is a top Investment and Bitcoin writer on Medium, and the father of two kids. He retired from the Army and sits on several non-profit boards. Tom is the top Yelper in his community and a top Google Guide. He’s on several social media channels and you can find him on Twitter @tomhandy1 and Instagram @tomhandy1.