Written by I recently heard a podcast from two former NFL players discussing Tim Tebow’s return to the NFL, nearly a decade later. Their comments summarized were that Tebow only got the job because 1. Who he knew and 2. He is just a great human. They also referenced his stint in the minor leagues being as successful as it was because of his great reputation. Now, as far as whether or not he will be successful the second time around in the NFL, is still to be determined, but the argument of earning his sport vs. his personal relationship with Urban Meyer is a decades long debate. We know nepotism exists at the professional and even collegiate level, both in coaching and in playing, but what happens when we see nepotism in our youth sports?
Many colleges have clauses protecting against nepotism and the practices therein, but to a certain degree nepotism has to exist at the professional and collegiate level. Head coaches only want the best of the best on their staff, and if you’re in the game long enough, you’ve probably created strong relationships. These are the people you want around you, or that you recommend. Now they may not check every box, but they check a very important one and that is knowing the person in charge. Those who get hired this way are measured against much stricter metrics, and every move viewed through a microscope, one wrong move and they receive back lash that they only got the job because of their relationship to Coach.
Youth sports are not under as fine a microscope, but the effects of the practices of nepotism, maybe more detrimental. Youth sports are reliant upon volunteer parents, often untrained in best coaching practices. At one point or another, we have probably all been on a team where the coach’s kid sees the most playing time, even though they are borderline garbage players, or had a kid make an all-star team, just because their dad played in the minors. This can negatively affect our youth’s self-worth, their once love of the game, and even their work ethic. They may question whether they are actually as good as everyone says they are; why would they work harder to develop, if someone else is just going to start even when they are not as talented? How can we expect our youth to love the game if their efforts to improve are not getting rewarded?
These years are crucial to the development of our youth. We value the lessons they are taught, and while yes it can introduce that life isn’t fair, and it won’t always go your way, there will be plenty of opportunities to learn that. We likely won’t eradicate nepotism, but we can be more conscientious when coaching our youth and allowing them to develop their talents and focus on cultivating a love for the game.