Earlier this week, young football players in Wembley got a training boost from retired Calgary Stampeder Jabari Arthur. Wembley Bulldogs coach Lionel Robins says bringing in a pro is huge for both the players and the coaches involved.
“I think sometimes we maybe dumb it down a little too much for the kids, so when you bring in someone from a much higher level, and they’re coaching from there up, we’re starting to figure out these kids know a lot more than we give them credit for. We need to coach them more stuff early on; we’ve talked about American football at 10 years old they’re learning stuff that us Canadian coaches don’t teach until they’re 15, 16.”
The 2001 CFL Offensive Player of the Year was the guest coach at a non-contact skills development for peewee and bantam youth. He says at that young of an age, it’s about developing a love of the game.
“Basically I just want to come out there and teach them that football, at least at this level especially, is about having fun and we just try to get better every day. That means practice and work at your craft; you’re not going to come out here and be Tom Brady tomorrow, but if you come in and commit to getting better every single day, then you’ll show signs of improvement.”
Many of the children taking part reached out to the former pro to find out not only how to get better at the sport, but also how football has affected his life and what’s he’s learned playing.