By Austin Moss
NFL Player Engagement
On June 22-23, 2013, the 2013 NFL PREP 100 Series presented by Under Armour hosted its final event of the year at the Cleveland Browns practice facility in Berea, Ohio. Now that the series has concluded, we ask this simple question to those who were fortunate enough to participate. Are you prepped?
Are you prepped for the classroom? Are you prepped for the field? Most importantly...Are you prepped for Life?
These are the questions we set out to provide answers to through our inaugural high school football camp series which visited five NFL cities and hosted on-field instruction at each respective clubs’ practice field; New Orleans Saints, Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens, and Cleveland Browns.
At each event we saw young men consume information and refine athletic skills that would not only help them become better football players, but most importantly become better young MEN. Over the course of our 5-city tour, we touched the lives of 463 football student athletes and over 500 parents, coaches, guardians and siblings. Parents and athletes were educated on NCAA Leadership & Eligibility, NFL Character Development, NFL Officiating Career Opportunities, and APTUS Learning Assessment. Not only that, participants were exposed to a unique camp culture that was more about providing applicable skills for the game of football and life than evaluating how fast you could run or high you could jump.
Though each city was different, the impact and difference made in the lives of young athletes remained the same. We saw the eyes of young men glued to the projection screen as they watched the Washington Redskins starting QB RG III explain how he earned 2 degrees and graduated in 3 and a half years before leaving college. We saw the facial expressions of parents drastically change when we explained the difference between a student’s overall GPA and core GPA. And at the conclusion of each event, we witnessed athletes and parents shaking the hands of coaches, facilitators, and program organizers thanking them for the opportunity and expressing how this camp was by far the best experience out of the many others they attended this summer.
Now that the training equipment and educational materials are packed away and we transition into the start of training camps across the country, NFLPE can assess the effectiveness of the series. After reviewing the participant surveys, testimonials, and thank you letters we learned that this program has tremendous value and is capable of changing lives. So even if it is only 1 young man out of the 463 who has a newfound passion for school, family, community, and hope for his future, we can proudly say that the NFL PREP 100 Series made a difference. Regardless of if they make it to compete at the highest level in professional sports or not, we can rest assured that these young men received essential skills and instruction to help them be successful in life. That alone is something to be proud of and build upon.