By Austin Moss
NFL Player Engagement
On June 17th – June 20th NFL Player Engagement hosted the inaugural PREP Academy in Philadelphia, PA. The PREP Academy, which was designed to empower and educate high school football student-athletes in the early stages of their personal and academic development, featured 41 of the top ranked “Class of 2018” high school football student-athletes in the country. The 41 young men took part in a 4-day educational and personal development curriculum focusing on: Goal Setting, Values, Academic and Career Planning, Community Action, Healthy Relationships, & Life Beyond Football.
Opening night of the program was held at the Philadelphia Eagles facility and featured a Keynote from Class of 1998 Pro Football Hall of Famer, Anthony Munoz. Anthony discussed the importance of being a man of integrity and high character and shared the intangibles he felt were most important to achieving success in football and life. After hearing from Anthony, the participants were guided through the corridors of the Eagles practice facility (NovaCare Complex) for a private tour. As the young men peered in the lockers of notable players, you could see the hope in their eyes as they envisioned their future holding a similar fate. While we encouraged them to dream of reaching the highest level of the game, we also stressed the importance of dreaming of success outside of athletics and how this program would help accomplish that.
Over the next three days the students took part in specifically designed sessions focusing on Leadership & Character Development, SAT/ACT Prep, Public Service, and Community training sessions led by the Jefferson Awards Foundation. All of these sessions were created to identify values, establish personal action plans, and enhance total development individual, not just the athletic. To accomplish this students were matched with former NFL Players that specialize in transition/personal growth to serve as mentors throughout the year. Establishing a relationship with NFL Legends who’ve walked in their shoes was a critical component of the program and proved to be valued by the participants.
When asked to give feedback on his experience at the PREP Academy rising Bothell High School’s (WA) Sophomore QB Jacob Sirmon said “You take these leadership qualities and the instruction you’ve been learning and you can apply them to football, to better your team and your community around you. I’m really thankful I got the opportunity to attend.”
PREP Academy participants were also accompanied by one parent/guardian or coach for the program who took part in a separate curriculum designed to educate and provide valuable tools they can utilize to assist the personal and academic growth of their student-athlete. Some of the classroom sessions for this audience included: NCAA Initial Eligibility, Understanding the Recruiting Process, College Student-Athlete Panel, NFL Character Development, & The College Application Process.
Although these young men are far from reaching the pinnacle of the NFL, taking a proactive approach to educate and equip them with essential life skills at an earlier stage will help them develop into a better man regardless of the profession. It is our hope that by having a continued relationship to support and foster positive growth we can cultivate a new and evolved generation of student-athletes to better our game and society.