Respect for oneself, one’s teammates and the game stood as the central message at the 4th Annual Jason Garrett Starfish Charities Clinic for the participants in The National Football Foundation’s Play It Smart program. The June 24 event took place on the campus of Princeton University in New Jersey, providing student-athletes from the program a chance to experience one of the nation’s most respected institutions of higher learning.
“Traditionally, if you make good choices, you’ll have good consequences,” said Miami Dolphins quarterback coach Jason Garrett to the 200 Play It Smart participants in attendance from New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Philadelphia. “Great leaders make great choices. They put themselves in a position to be successful.”
Joined by current and former NFL players, including Troy Aikman, Brock Berlin, Greg Comella, Brad Daluiso, David LaFleur, Cleo Lemon, Phil Simms as well as coaches and former players from Princeton University, Garrett and a team of volunteers organized a fun-filled day for participants that included two on-field sessions and an off-the-field life skills workshop.
“If you’re going to be good at something, you have to spend time at it,” said Troy Aikman, the legendary quarterback at UCLA and with the Dallas Cowboys. “Today is an opportunity. Take what you learn here today and keep working at it…There is no secret to success. You make good decisions and work hard.”
By lacing the day with lessons about competition, teamwork and discipline, the former NFL players and coaches struck a chord with the participants who rose as early as 5 a.m. for the opportunity to learn from some of the best players and coaches in the country.
“The day teaches you to have good sportsmanship, even if things don’t go your way,” said Robert Hill, a sophomore running back from Canarsie High School in Brooklyn, New York. “You need to have a smile on your face. It makes you a better competitor.”
During the afternoon life skills workshop, Jason Garrett introduced his father Jim, who played pro football and coached in the NFL from 1970-84, as an example of a lifelong commitment to excellence.
“It’s not what you have. It’s what you do with your abilities,” said the older Garrett, who at 76 still runs 2.2 miles 365 days a year. “You need to decide to be in the library or places you should not be. You need the courage to work to get your self where you want to be.”
Having a chance to showcase their skills in front of current and former NFL players and coaches provided the participants added incentive to bring their A-game.
Freddie Santana, a senior at New Dorp High School on Staten Island and a three-time participant at the clinic, said the day creates a chance to test his skills against some of the best from the region in a fun-filled setting. He quickly added that the day’s life skills workshop also meant a lot to him.
“This camp is always the first thing on my mind after school,” said Santana, who hopes to earn a full scholarship to either Hofstra or Fordham. “The coaches’ comments about inclusiveness meant a lot to me this year. If you don’t believe that you belong, than you don’t. You have to believe that you belong.”
Launched in 1998 and currently in 136 high schools in 35 states with 12,000 students, Play It Smart trains “academic” coaches to work with high school football teams in underserved areas during the entire school year, taking the transferable life skills learned on the field and applying them in the classroom and the community. Over the years, Play It Smart has achieved remarkable success, sending 81 percent of its seniors to college.
“The Jason Garrett Camp is an excellent event to culminate a long year for our kids who have worked so hard. It’ s a nice reward,” said Play It Smart National Director Charles Gomes. “It’s also rewarding for the volunteers. It’s a great opportunity for them too.”
