How do you explain to parents how important it is to attend practice from now until the season begins? Parents that have up and coming players that think they need to spend a bunch of money sending their sons to football camps like FBU, NUC, UnderArmour, etc....But by doing so neglect the team their son will be playing for. I'm not talking about one day camp/combines on college campuses. Those are good and there is no doubt it has benefit for the young man to be SEEN by the college coaches. I have no problem with these. I'm talking about the camps that are about $$$$. Yeah, there will be some big name coaches or players that attach their names to the camp. It may have been held at a big time facility. BUT if you are missing practices for the team you will be playing for in the fall you are making a mistake. I don't have a problem with a student going but not at the expense of missing the opportunity to compete for a position. The BEST exposure you can get is the team's overall success. The more games you play the more you will get seen. I don't doubt that some camps are very good and have quality coaches but they are money makers first. At least speak with your coaches about attending these camps before you sign up. They are counting on you this season because they think you are a good player too! BUT you have to earn it!!

Not sure you can get people not to do these things. Everyone thinks their son is a D-1 Football star.

Here's the thing, FBU and all of that stuff rarely helps with getting kids noticed. Stress to your parents that local combines and camps are better options for their sons. CoachJ put some great camps on here that get kids noticed. Rarely does a player who is truly Division 1 not get the attention they need. Combines are fine, but most of these camps and things that cost a ton of money are a waste of time. If you think your kid is D1 take them to small college camps and if you must maybe UK or U of L.

I know parents have good intentions and coaches want to help kids but spending money is not always the answer. Extra help can be good but you must communicate with your son's coach because that is ultimately who he will be playing for. Also, don't be surprised if he tells you that he doesn't think attending that camp at that time is a good idea. It's not because he doesn't want what is best for your son but the coach has to make the best decisions for the team. That may mean your son, who the coach HAD speculated as a starter, may now start the season running 3rd string because he missed 5 days of camp.

Keep in mind these college camps are in JUNE, with a few sprinkled into July. As a coach of kids I know are getting good interest and need to be seen in a camp setting to maybe earn a scholarship offer, I'm very understanding if they miss one of our June workout days for a camp. They'll miss the strength work we're doing that day, but they'll get plenty of agility and football-specific drill work that day so I know they'll improve at something because I KNOW they'll be doing the drills full-speed trying to impress.

 

We will install some things in June (passing game primarily) they'd miss, but that's something they usually would come early for the next workout.

 

If they were missing stuff after July 15, that would be a pretty big issue.

Bigger issue that I saw over the years was summer (non school) baseball/basketball interfering with summer (school) football practice

Bigger issue that I saw over the years was summer (non school) baseball/basketball interfering with summer (school) football practice

I don't seem to remember that:lol2:

Another tip for parents. Ask the head coach what level he thinks your child can play college ball... If they can at all. This is going to be a shocker to a lot of parents but more often than not, the child isn't really better than an NAIA or DIII player. And let me get this point across. There's nothing wrong with that! If your child loves football and wants to play at the next level, allow them to play for an NAIA or DIII school even though they aren't going to get the scholarship or go to the NFL.

We got a better assessment from a D1 college position coach. Really helped

My advice to parents is make sure your son wants to play college football at any level. Make sure the player isn't playing college football just to make his proud pappy happy or feel guilty about the cost of college tuition. If your son actually wants to play college football give advice but leave the final decision on where he goes up to the player. Finances and everything else will work out in the long run. I have known many great high school football players that had D1 talent and many offers, but had zero interest in playing at the college level, and worked their way through college without a scholarship, it can be done.