Gladly Would I Teach

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Have you heard the story about the middle school quarterback who has already committed to play football for the University of Southern California?  If not, please read this story.

Delaware high school football: 13-year-old’s pledge to USC stuns sports world

I first saw the story on one of the morning shows, and I’m still trying to figure out what I think about it. While I think it is marvelous to see such a talented young man who is working hard to achieve his dreams, I don’t understand the purpose of committing or pledging at such a young age to later play football at a specific university. What’s the hurry, particularly when it appears that the pledge is not binding on either the player or the university?

Part of me wants to scream, “Let him be a kid!” Yes, David Sills is talented, but does he possess other talents that he might develop if he did not devote all of his time to football? Instead of spending so much time working with a quarterback coach, wouldn’t the young man be healthier and happier if he spent more time just playing with his friends and doing 13-year-old activities instead of worrying about his future as a college quarterback?

I want to scream that this is not right, but I stop myself.

I don’t know the young man or the family, but I have no doubt that the parents are helping their son make the right decisions. How could a parent turn down an offer when it is exactly what the son has been working to achieve?

David’s devotion and commitment to football is no different from some of the exceptional students I work with every day who have long dreamed of becoming engineers and doctors. They take every advanced course they can work into their schedules and pursue every opportunity they can find to attend seminars or find internships that will allow them to learn more about the subjects they love.

I just wish USC would contact them with such enthusiasm and reserve places in the freshman class for such exceptional academic students!

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