The Development of a DB Part IV

In this,  the fourth and final part of the series,  The Development of a DB,  we are going to talk about the prime high school years.  We will look at what needs to be done once the young fella is on the field playing and hopefully receiving some college attention.  This is for ages 16-18.

Make Connections

If there is one thing that teens struggle with it’s seeing tomorrow.  No one lives in the moment like a 16-18 year old.  As you move from coach and emperor you will now gradually slide into guide and advisor.  As best you can,  make the connections that your son will need going forward.  At one point you may have been on the field or leaning on the fence giving instruction.  Now you are sitting in the stands both literally and metaphorically.

Don’t just sit their idle though.  Talk to people that could help your son meet his potential.  When you are at camps,  talk to the reporters and recruiters.  Pick their brains,  learn how the recruiting game works and what they look for.  When you go to college camps with your son,  talk to the coaches and recruiting staff.  Let them see that he comes from a stable environment and learn more about how they go about things.  The more information you can gather,  the better guidance you can offer him.  These conversations should most certainly include academic advisors, tutors and professionals.  Get advice from them as much as you can and provide it to your son.

Finally,  if you are not yourself a coach or trainer,  connect with someone who is.  Please know your limitations.  If teaching your son technique to play defensive back is not your forte,  it’s best you turn it over to someone else.  Teens can smell a fraud and it will be no good if you teach them incorrectly and it affects their results on the field.

Teach Him to Network

Your son should observe you making these connections.  Through osmosis he will recognize what is happening.  Despite that,  at some point while you are relaying him information you will get the question “how do you know that?”  This is the time to explain that you talk to people and the importance of networking.  It’s also a good time to drive home the point that his success will be a direct result of his network.  Negative influences bring negative results.  Positive influences bring positive results.  Acquiring information is the key to achieving.  Through your discussions as well as your actions,  your young DB son should learn this from you.

Start Putting Him on Auto-Pilot

Coaches don’t play the game for their players and neither can you play the life game for your son.  You have to know what you have before he walks out of that door and heads to college.  It is important to observe his decision making skills.  Allow some mistakes to happen and assist him in correcting them.  These things can’t happen if you make all the decisions for him.  This is one of the toughest parts as a parent.  We all struggle with this but it’s a must.  You may notice that a lot of what I am discussing in this period of his development has nothing to actually do with football.  Through my years of coaching and training,  I have noticed an overwhelming majority of those who failed doing so because of their personal lives.  If he has gotten this far,  he has the physical talent.  Now it’s going to be about his emotional intelligence and social development.  You are here to assist him with that so his physical gifts can be realized.

Get Him to Camps and Campuses

Defensive back is a tough position especially in high school.  If he is not fortunate enough to be a two way player who gets the glory of scoring touchdowns every Friday night, he could be anonymously great.  Though passing games have improved in high school over the years,  not every team has a competent one.  If your son is really good,  there’s a chance the game plan could be to avoid him and that’s no bueno when coming to gaining a college’s attention.

For these reasons you have to get your young DB some exposure.  The best way to do that outside of Friday Nights in the Fall is getting him to football camps and to college campuses in the spring / summer.  Sign him up for the local recruiting camps.  Let him go compete against others and potentially get noticed for it.  When the summer comes,  get him to college camps put on by coaches.  If you can’t attend,  research ways that you can get him there with others.  Some 7-on-7 teams take college tours as do some foundations.  Do your research and use common sense in choosing one.  Either way,  his skills and talent level needs light to be seen.  Let him go shine at these events.

Don’t Let Him Quit Track

Track is a tough sport.  The physical requirements and solo pressure will take it’s toll on most kids.  However,  your kid is not most kids.  For many,  the urge to quit track the moment schools start recruiting them is great.  When football season is over they would love to just chill.  Chill turns into still.  Still in your house when they are 20, 22, 24.  Let your young DB know that getting recruited is not the goal.  Trying to excel at the next level is the plan.  To do this,  he needs to be at his utmost physically.  That means keep doing what he’s been doing to get here.  If track blessed him with the speed to make the plays he made to get recruited then it will most definitely continue serving him as he tries to make his mark at the next level.  Don’t let him hang up his track spikes.

Study His Opponent

Life is competition.  Remind your young DB that success comes looking for the one who is prepared.  Encourage him to devote some of his time to studying his Friday night opponents.  When the success comes from doing this,  show him how that spills over into other areas.  Teach him to research the guys he will be going up against for a starting job at the college level.  Teach him to research the schools he’s thinking about going to.  He should learn how to study the coaches he will have to talk to.  These things will make him stand out and be the prepared individual that always seems to be having a meeting with success.

We all feel the rush of tears once that young man is heading off to college and onto a life of his own.  By doing your part you can ensure that those tears are tears of joy and not of deep regret.  I hope you have enjoyed this series and that you have found it helpful.

If you have any questions or comments,  feel free to reach me at: cwilson@alleyesdbcamp.com

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alleyesdbcamp

Owner at All Eyes DB Camp

Chad Wilson is the founder of All Eyes DB Camp and a former standout defensive back for the Miami Hurricanes. After an elite collegiate career, Wilson spent a season with the Seattle Seahawks before transitioning into coaching. A 3-time Florida state champion defensive coordinator, he has spent over 20 years developing the "All Eyes" blueprint that has produced NFL All-Pros and stars like Xavien Howard, Patrick Surtain II, Tyson Campbell, Minkah Fitzpatrick and more. His coaching system is proven at the highest levels—his own sons, Quincy and Marco Wilson, both excelled as starters in the SEC before being drafted into the NFL.

Chad is the author of "101 DB Tips"—The Ultimate DB Reference Guide. You can find more information on the manual and how to order your copy in the sidebar and footer of this page.

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