Former NFL wide receiver Torrey Smith, a Super Bowl champion with the Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles, is now empowering youth athletes and families in Baltimore through his organization Level 82. Drawing from his own experiences, Smith shares five core values that can serve all kids through sports participation, regardless of their economic background.
- Leadership: Kids Learn from Adults’ Actions 👀
- Smith learned leadership by observing his coaches and teachers, who provided stability and positive role models.
- “Kids watch you more than they’ll ever listen to you,” Smith emphasizes, stressing the importance of leading by example.
- Education: Sports and School Go Hand-in-Hand 📚
- Smith’s mother never let his grades slip, understanding the connection between academics and athletics.
- Sports can drive up grades, with graduation rates rising when kids play for four years, according to Under Armour’s Project Rampart data.
- Vision: Envision Your Desired Future 👁️
- Smith encourages kids to have a positive vision of what they want to become, just as his coaches helped him unlock his own potential.
- “The goals and expectations on them are to be the best version of themselves,” Smith says.
- Effort: Don’t Baby Kids, Let Them Face Adversity 💪
- Smith believes in challenging kids through effort and allowing them to learn from adversity.
- “I love adversity. I think too often, we kind of baby the kids and coddle them when they have to work through these things,” he says.
- Love: Show It, but Let Kids Create Their Own Experiences ❤️
- Smith advocates showing love through actions, like attending practices and games, but also giving kids space to create their own experiences.
- “Let them be themselves. Let them run their own race,” he advises parents.
via: USA Today Stephen Borelli
