While searching for a candidate to discuss how to improve the youth sporting landscape, we had to look no further than Oregon State University assistant football coach Reggie Davis. His impressive resume gives him plenty of credibility to join the discussion. After participating in numerous youth sports as a child, Davis went on to become a two-sport standout at Brethren Christian High School in Cypress, California. His presence on the football field as a defensive back and quarterback, earned him a scholarship to the University of Washington in 1994, where he was tabbed as the “best athlete” in the Washington Huskies recruiting class. After a stellar college career, Davis went on to play in the NFL for the San Diego Chargers before his career was cut short due to a severe knee injury. With his playing career complete, Davis embarked on a career in the coaching profession. He coached at the University of San Diego and the University of Nevada Las Vegas prior to joining OSU in 2008 as its running backs coach. Youth Fitness Magazine recently sat down with Coach Davis to find out what he and the rest of the staff at OSU look for when evaluating student-athletes.

To our surprise, most of the discussion centered on preparation off the field, rather than the physical attributes and skill set needed to succeed as an athlete on the collegiate level. “We constantly look at the character of a person,” Davis explains. “What kind of person is he when no one is looking? In order for our team or any football team to become the best, no one can be selfish. We want to see selflessness in our players.” The selflessness Davis speaks of likely aided the Beavers earlier this season in their remarkable 27-21 upset of No. 1 ranked USC.

Davis also spoke about the importance of responsibility, another key component necessary to building a strong team. “I spend a majority of my time teaching kids basic life skills, such as how to handle what life throws at you,” says Davis, who along with wife Jennifer, is raising five children of his own. “I try to teach them that they are responsible to others and that they do not live on an island by themselves, even though it’s their life. I also spend time teaching them how to follow instructions.”

After our discussion, it became apparent many young athletes entering college are lacking more of the necessary life skills to have meaningful productive days, rather than physical attributes needed to succeed on the field. Accountability, character and respect are life skills that need to be addressed better during the youth sporting experience. In Coach Davis’ eyes, those traits are just as important to the physical aspects of the game. If Davis were a youth or high school coach today, his instruction would mirror the characteristics he teaches student-athletes at OSU. “Build a firm foundation for good decision making, instill high self-esteem and most of all, respect authority,” he says. “You will always have it, sometimes you will agree with it, sometimes you won’t, but you must always respect it. These topics directly apply to becoming the best individual athlete and especially the best team.”

“Build a firm foundation for good decision making, instill high self-esteem and most of all, respect authority. You will always have it, sometimes you will agree with it, sometimes you won’t, but you must always respect it. These topics directly apply to becoming the best in individual athlete and especially the best team.”