There is a golden opportunity available to the NFL …

It would seem that not a month, week, or day goes by when there is a news story that shows members of the National Football League in a most unfavorable light.

Why?

Some young men who come into the league are coming with more than mere financial need. Some players are initiated in to the NFL without having some very basic psychological needs met:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs

Reviewing instances where players in the recent decade have struggled they can be connected to one of the needs shown above, most common, safety, love/belonging, Esteem, or self actualization.

Why is this?

It is not simple, but may be different for each player depending on their background, family situation, and how they were raised. It has to do with both nature and nurture. Once young men enter college things get shifted a great deal and there is such freedom on many levels. There remains the structure of the collegiate football program and this often allows for a façade of sorts that may actually mask personal deficiencies that they may have discovered.

Upon entry into the football league there may be a host of new emotions and needs that appear and this is where the opportunity lies.

I can not speak to what happens currently in the league when a player is contracted. I am of the belief that a player should have league or player association knowledgeable male /”mentors” who has undergone a quality vetting process to assist with each of the following areas that they will soon be facing:

*Is there a mandatory New Player Orientation to the League? - Safety /Belonging/Esteem/Self-Actualization

*Is there a mandatory New Player Orientation to the Team? – Safety /Belonging/Esteem/Self-Actualization

*Who advises them on issues concerning Morality? – Safety / Self-Actualization

*Who works with them to locate, interview, and hire key personal (church, personal assistant, accountants, doctor, etc.) - Physiological /Safety /Belonging/Esteem/Self-Actualization

*How do they locate housing and learn their a new city - Physiological /Safety /Belonging/Esteem/Self-Actualization

Each of these are needs that have to be met sufficiently so a person has the best chance or living up to their full potential.

Golden Opportunity…

It is very likely that as a fan, I am out of touch and extremely off base with these comments, but it would be to the NFL’s credit and the fans who spend money, to implement some or all of the above as mandatory for new players for the initial 2-4 years of their contract depending on the age of entrance into the league. If there is already such a program, perhaps it should be reviewed and enhanced, objectives added, etc. It would not be a bad idea to tap into talented coaches like Tony Dungy to help create or visit the role of a mentor.

I along with many other fans am tired of losing talented young men with a multitude of potential because appropriate support was not in place. Yes, there are those who say, they are grown men, this is the real world, they should grow up, and other horrible things….To those folks...I remind you that these are all of our sons, brothers, fathers, and for some, our role models; lets choose to build them up rather than tearing them down.

-Concerned Fan