Ducks Attack Message Board Forum

Didn't Joey Harrington receive a verbal offer at birth?

Dumb.

"This wasn't a knee-jerk reaction to an offer," Clarkson said. "After getting over the initial shock of it and talking about it at length, he decided to commit today. It's a chance to go to school where one of his idols played."

The "idol" in question is known other than sub 500 Purple Geez. (of course it is)

I think recruiting kids these young is just weird. It's also a crapshoot IMO. I think every single one of us can think of the kid who was the best at every sport in their school growing up and most of them just hit puberty at age 8 and everyone had caught up to them by the time they graduated.

I remember coaching a youth (8-9 year old) soccer team a loooooong time ago. There was one kid in the league who dominated every game he played... He was taller, looked considerably more physically developed than any other kid on any other team. He wasn't the most talented, even on his own team, but he was a scoring machine... Every time he got the ball, it seemed as if the opposing defense literally parted like the Red Sea before the staff of Moses, giving him a clear path to the goal (The other kids were all scared the big guy with a scowl on his face was gonna hurt somebody).

One day, I had watched this kid dominate a game for an entire half. I took my best two defenders aside and asked the guys what was going on. When they admitted they were scared, I suggested that maybe, if they stood their ground a couple times, he wouldn't look sp tough anymore.

Funny thing happened. The first time my son concentrated on the ball, he and his buddy took it away, and scored. The tough guy became a complete non-factor in the game.

The problem for us was, there was a young lady on the other team who was incredibly talented. She took over the game, and we lost, anyway.

Such is life.

This young man may be the real deal, but he has some growing to do.

lukeyrid13 wrote:I think recruiting kids these young is just weird. It's also a crapshoot IMO. I think every single one of us can think of the kid who was the best at every sport in their school growing up and most of them just hit puberty at age 8 and everyone had caught up to them by the time they graduated.

There are 15 year old pro football (soccer) players so it is not like this is without prescient.