By Matt Mauney | Associate Editor
I’ve been around sports all my life.
I’ve seen a lot of things in that time.
In the past five or so years, I’ve especially been interested in recruiting and scouting for various sports. I’ve always been intrigued by what impressed some scouts and didn’t impress others.
Today, recruiting has gone to a whole new level with the Internet and social media. The digital landscape has allowed college coaches to keep an eye on prospects well before their junior or senior years of high school, even if the player isn’t aware.
The United Youth Football League National Championship Tournament, held here in Plant City, had a plethora of young talent take the field last week, at Otis M. Andrews Park.
Some people may think it sounds crazy to use the words prospects and scouting when referring to 6- to 16-year-olds, but I assure you, it’s not.
Okay, maybe with 6-year-olds, but everyone else is fair game. The truth is, like it or not, kids are put under the microscope earlier than ever.
I’m not saying it’s the right thing to do, but it happens.
Take, for example, an eighth-grade all-star team from Chicago. As I chatted with coaches, they pointed out some of their best players. Most of those eighth-graders currently are being recruited by high school teams all over Illinois and the rest of the Midwest.
How is that possible, you ask? It’s simple: Those schools are — or at least should be — private schools, which allow that sort of thing.
It becomes a vicious cycle. The high school coaches want the players to benefit their teams, and the parents want to put their child in the best spot to succeed.
Don’t forget, many of those private schools also offer top-notch educations if the whole football thing doesn’t work out.
This all creates a fine line. It’s an argument that has been at the forefront of sports for some time: What’s really in the best interest of the athletes?
Throughout the week, I saw some of the biggest kids I’ve ever seen. There were teams full of 13-year-olds that had an offensive line bigger than that of my high school.
I’m not kidding.
Hey, is that Warren Sapp? Nope, it’s a 12-year-old.
In July, ESPN reported the LSU Tigers offered a hopeful prospect a scholarship after his performance at a camp. His name was Dylan Moses, and he had yet to begin eighth grade. Moses may not be old enough to drive for another few years, but he’s committed to join the LSU football program in 2017.
That’s just one of many examples.
There’s a couple of ways to look at this. Is it exploiting or putting too much pressure on the young athletes? Or is it giving them a platform to succeed and do big things — whether that’s playing professionally or getting to college and receiving the education that comes with it?
I’m going to play devil’s advocate and say it varies depending on the situation.
Let’s face it. Football may be the only answer for some, like it or not. Others may have more options and may be playing simply for the love of the game.
Even if they have bigger dreams, let’s hope they are still playing with that love and passion — now and in the future.
Regardless of your thoughts on middle-school athletes being recruited by private high schools and colleges, it still was pretty cool seeing some of the top young athletes in the nation on display right here in our backyard.
Who knows? Maybe in 10 or 15 years, that 12-year-old will be the next Warren Sapp.