ST. LOUIS — As more school districts across St. Louis approve virtual learning to begin the fall, some students may not be able to participate in school athletics, which could potentially affect their future.
As a result, former NFL wide receiver and Vashon High School head football coach Will Franklin said it’s become crucial for coaches to show student athletes that there’s still hope and life outside of sports.
“I’ve talked to our superintendent about it,” Franklin said. “Our district AD about like, how can we start to do things to help guide them in a direction if there isn’t a season at all? Which, to me, is more important than anything ‘cause it gives the kids some hope of a future without sports regardless.”
But Franklin isn’t doing this alone. He’s teaming up with multiple high school football coaches across St. Louis, like Lutheran North head football coach Carl Reed.
The team of coaches are discussing options to design programs that can be done virtually to show students what they can still work towards off the field.
Franklin said he hopes it will encourage student athletes to focus on their academics to see their potential.
“This is the time, more so now than ever, to come together,” Franklin said. “This is beyond the game. This is men coming together to help younger men find an identity now for themselves outside of sports.”
Franklin said they’ve discussed ideas like holding Zoom sessions with former athletes and local residents who work in career fields outside of athletics that student athletes can relate to, and strive for.
“Let’s put people in front of them that are in fields and careers that you can have a great lifestyle on but also can translate to you from being a former athlete, into life after sports,” Franklin said.
From real estate, to law enforcement, to education.
“Have these young men thinking like,‘Hey man, if this don’t work out, ya know, I think I wanna go over here and pick up a trade,’” Franklin said. “‘I wanna get into real estate, and let me see who’s in the area that does real estate.’ It’s many different fields that you can go into, but the conversation has to start now.”
Franklin said these coaches are communicating weekly with the goal of having something in place by the time the school year begins.