Going the Distance
Sports can spell success for your child, on and off the field.

For any parent looking to give their child an edge in life, Summit High School Head Football Coach John Liberato has a suggestion: Get your child involved in a sport, and get yourself involved in supporting your child. With nearly 25 years of coaching experience to his credit, Liberato has seen this formula work firsthand, though perhaps never as clearly as last year, when he led the Hilltoppers to an undefeated season that culminated in a State Championship victory atop the turf in the Meadowlands. The spirit that drives Liberato—the same spirit he uses to coach his teams—was recognized last fall by the New York Giants, when they named him the 2009 Lou Rettino High School Coach of the Year. Here, we go one-on-one with Liberato to score suggestions for bringing out the champion in any kid.

What can athletics offer a child?

Sports instill confidence, and confidence translates into success. In the right mix of people and in the right environment, there’s that feeling of success and confidence—and that adds to the overall confidence of a kid. Football is the ultimate team sport: Everybody has a role, and every role counts. When a kid plays his role to the best of his abilities, when he can look in the mirror and say he did the best he could, he’ll be successful in anything he does.

How can parents best encourage their child’s sports endeavors?

We create an environment of trust, not only with our players but with their parents. We have a meeting in the beginning of the year with our parents. It’s very matter-of-fact. I tell them, “Your son is going to come home from practice, and I’m not gonna be his favorite guy every day—just as you’re not your kid’s favorite person every day. But you have to be supportive.”

The more parental support a player has, the more success the player will achieve throughout his career. The most successful teams I’ve had in my 24 years of coaching were most successful in reaching the parents. Never was that more important than in the past year.

What about parents who push their kids too hard or get too involved?

If we have some negativity in the stands, we have ten parents there to stand up for the kid. I have never met one kid who wanted to drop a pass. I have never met one kid who wanted to fumble the ball. They’re all trying their best out there. Remember too that a child should play a sport because he wants to play it, not because the parent wants him to play it.

How do you prevent injuries among young players?

It’s important to have structured training during the season, but also in the off-season. The first time a player is introduced to a sport at the high school level, it’s in the weight room. We have a great strength-and-conditioning program. We have a full-time trainer on staff, and we have our players hit the weight room pretty hard. Our kids see a lot of success because of the training they receive in the weight room: A strong athlete is a confident athlete. If you’re confident, you’re less likely to become injured. But any kid who is injured should seek the advice of a professional. Besides, if you play hurt, you’re not going to play at peak level.

Is there an ideal age to get a child involved in organized sports?

There’s no one perfect age. We have a great youth football program in Summit. In Summit, kids can begin playing in fourth grade with instructional football—they put on a helmet and shoulder pads and get some instruction. In fifth grade, it’s more about the drills and the skills. And we get the younger players together with the older kids. I try to explain to the high school guys that they’re like heroes to these younger kids, they’re role models.

Is there a secret to building a champion athlete or a championship team?

Pride and discipline. I tell my players to be proud of who they are and proud of where they come from. And discipline means setting goals and having the persistence to see them through. Everyone has dreams. But dreams don’t just happen—they require goals and determination. We teach our kids about making an investment: To achieve your dreams, there has to be some sacrifice.

What has high school football taught you?

Being around kids keeps you young. I’m around kids all day, and involved all year long. Every day is a different situation—a rewarding and enlightening situation. And never was that more obvious than when we had 8,000 Summit people in the Meadowlands, rooting for us in the State Championships. I’m getting chills now just talking about it. I told the kids, “This is a memory for a lifetime.”