For parents of young football players
Registration is just where the spending starts.
Flag or tackle, travel teams, camps, and the concussion worry every football parent carries. This book helps you look hard at the program before you sign.
From the first youth season through high school, recruiting and eligibility.
Sound familiar?
Everybody has advice. Nobody shows you the whole picture.
Before long you've paid registration, bought cleats and a mouthguard, sold raffle tickets, and you still don't know how he's being taught to tackle or what happens if he takes a hard hit.
Maybe you haven't signed up yet. Maybe the season already started. Either way, you deserve straight answers before the next check goes out.
I coached youth football for years. I'm not here to tell you what to do. I'm here to show you what to look at.
Inside the book
A few things you'll learn
Put the college and NFL dream in perspective
Why the dream shouldn’t be the family spending plan, and what to weigh before you choose the next program.
Why early size isn’t a verdict
Birth month and different growth timelines can make a young player look ahead or behind.
What a helmet can and can’t do
No helmet is concussion-proof. What a helmet can and can’t do, and the questions to ask about contact and medical response.
Coming back from a concussion is a medical decision
When in doubt, sit him out. Why a parent or coach shouldn’t rush him back, and who makes the call.
Injury risk isn’t the same for every position
No position is safe, and there’s no dependable ranking. The questions to ask about the role he plays and how the team limits contact.
Questions about contact rules
How much contact your league allows in practice, how it builds up, and whether the program follows its own policy.
Included
In the back of the book
Causes and Solutions Matrix
At-Home Drills
The Plan
Questions Parents Ask
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Plain answers for sports parents, camps worth knowing about, and new books when they come out. Free, and you can leave any time.
About the author
I've been the parent who didn't know what to ask
I'm Sam Duffey, founder of Prime Path Athletics. I'm a retired Army Chief Warrant Officer 3. I coached youth football and basketball for 15 years and helped start a youth athletics program. I played junior college basketball at Navarro College and Cisco Junior College before I left school to enlist after September 11th.
My oldest son wanted to keep playing past high school. He didn't get to, and at the time I didn't know how to help him. That's a big part of why Prime Path Athletics exists.
My measure of a good season was never the record. It was whether kids kept coming back and parents trusted what I told them.
Before you buy
Is this book for you?
This is for you if
- Your son wants to play football and you want to know what you're signing up for
- You're deciding between flag and tackle
- You worry about head injuries and want a real plan
- You're looking at travel 7v7 or travel tackle and the costs
This is not for you if
- You want a coaching manual. There's an at-home drill chapter, but this book is about decisions.
- You want someone to tell you whether to let him play. That's your call; this book helps you make it.
- You want someone to promise a scholarship. Nobody honest can.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What exactly do I get?
A 175-page book with 16 chapters and four appendices: a causes-and-solutions matrix, at-home drills, a year-round plan, and an index of the parent questions answered in the book. Get it as an EPUB ebook ($14.99) or as a 6x9 paperback that includes the PDF ($19.99).
What ages is it for?
It starts with the first youth season and runs through high school, recruiting and eligibility. Most families get the most from it in elementary and middle school, before the big money decisions.
Is this against tackle football?
No. Football can be great for the right kid in the right program. I want you to know what to look for in that program before he straps on a helmet.
Does it cover travel teams?
Yes. The book covers travel football and 7-on-7, explains why development and exposure are different purchases, and gives you questions about coaching, contact and total cost.
The Real Cost of Youth Football
A Parent's Guide to Pop Warner, Camps, and What's Actually Worth Paying For
- 175 pages, 16 chapters, 4 appendices
- Exact questions to ask, and who to ask
- Plain language, no fluff
One last thing
You can make the money back. You can't get the days back.
Don't let somebody else's calendar or sales pitch make this call for you. Get the questions and the numbers first. Then decide.
P.S. Before the first practice, ask the coach one thing: "What is your concussion plan, and who on the sideline makes the call to pull a player?" The answer tells you a lot. This book gives you the rest of the questions.
Good luck this season.
Sam Duffey, Prime Path Athletics