Professionals Reach Out to Develop Youth

Many gridiron stars, whether at the professional or college level, could easily limit their involvement with the sport to what their contract includes. However, many players redirect their continuous passion for the game towards the development of the next generation. Each year, active and former players are getting increasingly involved in the nation's youth flag football leagues.


Take Arizona Cardinals tight end Anthony Becht for example. A first round draft pick by the Jets in 2000, now has an active role as both coach and father in his community. Though many of his players probably don't know about his extensive list of accomplishments, he emphasizes his involvement is not about himself, it is about developing the youth athletes. Becht explains, ""I don't go out there and talk about the NFL - it's all about the kids and making them better."

He stresses positive reinforcement, an important quality of the sport due to an increasing pressure for kids to succeed at such an early age. "It's always going to be competitive with kids...Some don't think they can do it right and they can get down on themselves," Becht said. In addition to his involvement in i9 Sports, he runs camps in Philadelphia and West Virginia. His involvement with the youth leagues parallels that of many stars throughout the country.

Chicago Bears players Earl Bennett, Israel Idonije and Kellen Davis all made an appearance at the 7th annual Rockford Park District flag football camp. They worked with boys and girls ages 7-18 providing instruction and running drills. "I love giving back...I think having an NFL player help out kids with fundamentals and techniques will give them a slight advantage," said Bennett.

In early May, Michael Merriweather told his success story to a group of boys who are members of Alpha Phi Alpha, a peer group for black teenagers. After 11 years in the NFL and a great amount of success following his career as a football player, it is not surprising that he not only coached them in the game of football, but also offered life lessons as well. The former Pro Bowl linebacker cites an example from his youth, "When I was a high school student in Vallejo, a guy named Simon Frazier, who got a full ride to Chico State and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons, came back and talked to us." Professional football players giving back to the community, whether it be tactical drills or advice in general, undoubtedly have a great impact on the youth of today. "That always stayed with me, and I want to do the same thing for somebody else," said Merriweather.