Nationally Ranked Youth Football Team Excels Off The Field With 3.5 GPA

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    Seattle, Wa (The Seattle Medium) — When it comes to setting high standards of achievement, the HEIR 12U football team is just as successful in the classroom as they are on the field. The nationally ranked 12U team boasts a 3.5-grade point average. According to Reggie Jones, founder of the HEIR football program and coach of the 12U team, all of the athletes in HEIR’s program, from the 6U division through the 14U division, are expected to maintain a 3.0 GPA or better, or they will not see the playing field until they do. They can practice and can come and support their teammates, but unless they are achieving in the classroom, their playing time can be elusive. Jones’ coaching philosophy is embedded in the name of the program, and he and his coaching staff work diligently to maintain and uphold its values and standards. By raising the achievement bar, Jones leaves no room for error in molding his kids to become complete student-athletes. “The bar is the bar, and it takes what it takes,” says Jones. “Our coaching philosophy is exactly what our name stands for – Heart, Education, Integrity, and Resiliency, which is HEIR. I want all of our kids to embody that as well as compete, compete, compete.” Not only are Jones’ athletes performing in the classroom, but they are also excelling on the field as well as HEIR teams have been ranked over the years in the top ten in the nation. According to Jones, they are the only program in the history of Pacific Northwest’s youth football to be at one point ranked number one in the nation. This year’s 12U team is undefeated and currently ranked 7th in the nation, and number one on the West Coast. “I have been coaching [this 12U group] since they were 7 years old,” says Jones. “And they have been one of the top teams in the country since they were seven.” “When they were at the 7U, they were 12th in the country. When they were 8U, they were number one in the country,” added Jones. “At 9U, they won the AYF national championship (American Youth Football, which is the equivalent of youth baseball’s World Series). We are the only team in the state in the history of youth football to do it; no one has ever won a national championship except HEIR. From 10U to 12U, they have been ranked in the top ten.” Outside of his youth football program, Jones has a rich football legacy in his own right. A graduate of Kent-Meridian High School, he played collegiate football at the University of Idaho and later at Portland State. His success landed him in the NFL, where he played in the Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints, followed by a journeyman’s career with various NFL teams until his retirement. Because of his experience, Jones realized that in order for his players to evolve to the next level, whether it’s high school or college, establishing a sound academic discipline along with their athletic prowess will help prepare them for the rigors of being complete student-athletes. “Every year our teams have to submit a progress report through multiple checkpoints throughout the year,” says Jones. “And they know that if they are not at a 3.0, they are not able to play in the game. They can show up and support the team; they just cannot dress or play.” “Some people look at that and say, ‘that’s harsh.’ At high school, they can play with a 2.0, but for me, I’ve sent off so many kids to play collegiate football. I’m talking to college coaches weekly about the kids from my program and the kids from the state of Washington, so I know the standard and what the bar is. My kids are like, ‘if I can maintain a 3.0 and maintain this high level of academic excellence, then it’s going to be a breeze when they get to high school.” In addition to grades, behavior and attendance are monitored in the progress reports submitted to coaching staff throughout the year. According to Jones, this philosophy is not necessarily about the subjects’ students learn as it is about creating or producing “lifestyle habits”. Jones is about teaching and preparing his student-athletes for their future. Teaching the concepts of Heart, having the courage to succeed against all odds. That knowledge is key, and you attain knowledge through your Education. Integrity, being true to yourself, believing in yourself that you are capable of achievement, and resiliency. Never giving up, fight to the end, doing your best. “How you prepare for school, how you prepare for your math test, your English exam, will translate into life,” says Jones. “How you prepare for life, how you handle a teacher or subject you may not like, we still have to deal with things we may not like in life. So, [we teach our kids to] focus on I am developing these qualities and characteristics that are going to help me develop in life.”

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