A PARENT’S JOURNEY THROUGH YOUTH SPORTS:
Age 5: “He’s got a cannon.”
Age 6: “He’s the fastest kid out there. Coach said so.”
Age 7: “Rec ball isn’t challenging him anymore.”
Age 8: “We tried out for select. Obviously made it.”
Age 9: “$2,800 for the season. Plus uniforms. Plus tournaments. Plus hotels.”
Age 10: “Cooperstown is basically a family vacation, right?”
Age 11: “He needs a hitting guy. And a pitching guy. And probably a mental performance coach.”
Age 12: “I’m not a crazy sports parent. The OTHER parents are crazy.”
Age 13: “We changed schools. For academics. (And also baseball.)”
Age 14: “Showcases are a requirement at this age.”
Age 15: “Ya his ranking just ticked up. We’re cooking.”
Age 16: “He just needs to get seen by the right school.”
Age 17: “The D1 schools want him to walk on. He’ll earn a spot by sophomore year.”
Age 18: “Okay, D2 is actually really competitive.”
Age 19: “He’s redshirting. Strategic.”
Age 20: “He’s focusing on school now.”
Age 21: “You know what? He’s so much happier.”
Roughly 7% of high schoolers play in college.
About 1.5% of those get drafted.
Less than half of draftees ever play one day in the big leagues.
The odds of our kids going pro are somewhere between “struck by lightning” and “find a $100 in old shorts.”
I love youth sports (all my kids play a bunch of them) just keep a good perspective my friends. ✌️
Had the honor of speaking to the @NDFootball team about the importance of Special Teams, the NFL, and what it means for me to create evidence in everything you do
Had the honor of speaking to the @NDFootball team about the importance of Special Teams, the NFL, and what it means for me to create evidence in everything you do
I am not ashamed of my journey. My life will be a testimony.
But if I could offer a word of advice to any freshman, sophomore or junior athlete in high school it would be to just listen bro. All them adults in your life not just talking to talk. They been here longer. They done bumped they head already. They trying to save you from doing the same thing.
Do not make the mistake of thinking your talent alone is enough. It’s not. Talent open doors. Character and grades keep you there. And if you already messed up, if your GPA not where it should be, if your name been in rooms for the wrong reasons… don’t quit. Keep digging. You can climb out the hole the same way you dug it.
Class of 29, 28 and 27 hear me.
Take your grades serious. Choose who you hang around wisely. Protect your name. Word spreads fast if you a crash out. Respect authority. Nobody riding for you like your parents and coaches. Work hard when nobody clapping.
Do not wait until senior year to lock in. That GPA do not lie.
I’m still figuring it out myself. I’m struggling but I know God got me.
Be intentional. Lock in early. Pray. Show up ready to work.
I’m learning the hard way that my future is being built in the small decisions I make today.
Start now.
Urban Meyer says the quiet part out loud.
Be the best player on your high school team first.
Development > camps.
Mastery > 7-on-7 trophies.
College coaches recruit game tape, not weekends.
People keep asking why college offers are slow right now. Here’s the reality, and I’m not going to sugarcoat it.
As of today (the final day to enter the Transfer Portal):
• 10,853 football players have entered the portal
• 6,715 are still actively looking for a home
• 3,229 have signed
• 576 have withdrawn
• 333 have matriculated
Breakdown by level:
• FBS: 3,910 entered (1,633 still active)
• FCS: 2,735 entered (1,789 still active)
• DII: 2,779 entered (1,993 still active)
• DIII: 1,340 entered (1,251 still active)
That’s thousands of players still unplaced across every level of college football.
Now add what no one wants to talk about:
• Lawyers are suing the NCAA for extended eligibility for current players
• Those lawsuits are freezing roster spots that would normally open
• Division II has voted to allow 5 years of competition instead of 4, meaning fewer scholarships and roster spots available moving forward
What does this mean in real terms?
• Older players are staying longer
• Coaches are holding scholarships
• Roster math is completely unsettled
• Decisions are being delayed because eligibility rules are changing in real time
It’s an overloaded system where timing, legal uncertainty, and roster limits are colliding all at once.
If recruiting feels quiet, stalled, or frustrating, this is why. Stay patient and keep your grades up!
“Losers assemble in little groups and complain about the coaches and players in other little groups. But winners assemble as a team,” Emlen Tunnell
Winners choose the process over excuses.
With the banquet and all postseason events in the books, it is time to set our sights on 2026. We are looking to add a defensive coordinator and a few assistant coaches to round out our coaching family. Would like to have someone in place by the end of January. #EAT
1,116 total yards
11 touchdowns
873 rushing yards
154 carries
5.7 yards per carry
10 rushing touchdowns
20 catches
208 Reciving yards
10.5 yards per catch
1 Reciving touchdown
131 yards per game
2 kick returns
6th in the state total yards in 6A) via regular season
*1st team Metro all district Running back
explosive 💥, electric ⚡️, powerful 💣 plays
*Captain
"Any high school coach telling your kid that they can't play multiple sports is telling you that because it's in their best interest.
The second that coach tells you that, you should be out."@gregolsen88
You're not just taking away the sport.
You're taking away the memories.
Kids AND Parents: Please do me a favor…
Click the video and watch the players, the emotion.
Click the video and listen to the announcers.
Read the shared Tweet/X post from the Chicago Blackhawks, one of the most iconic professional franchises in the world.
You don’t have to specialize in one sport.
You don’t have to skip high school.
You don’t have to play for this club or that club or else.
Kids AND Parents: This goes for ALL sports. Mason was a first-round NHL draft pick this past June.
If this doesn’t get your attention, I don’t know what I or anyone else can do to make you realize this is about YOUR life, YOUR lifelong memories - not another adult’s decision for YOUR future.
#MoreThanJUSTGames #IHSA
The Edina Hornets football team just won their first Minnesota state championship since 1978 with the Chicago Blackhawks’ first-round draft pick playing his senior year at QB, and the hockey team’s goalie scoring 6 TDs in the title game.
Play sports. Have fun. Nothing like it.
To promote and recognize academic achievement by Minnesota high school teams, the MFCA names Academic All-State Team Awards each season.
To be eligible for the award, the head coach must be a current member of the MFCA.
Congratulations to the Class 6A Team Winners!