The Harrington Family Foundation

A) I have been saying on this site for some time that the most important thing about youth sports is that the kids have fun playing. At ten years old kids are at different stages of development. Some are very motivated and some are just happy to be on the team. No doubt, you are well aware of this already. For kids to have fun and be motivated to improve, I think a couple of things should happen. First, kids need to know at this level that they will play a good part of the game regardless of the final score. Also, they need to know they can make mistakes without the fear of being singled out and embarrassed. It really helps if the coach see himself as a teacher and not a yeller and screamer. My dad, who was our coach and a former high school coach as well, set up practices so there was time given to develop individual skills. We also spent a lot of time working on team skills which did not include scrimmaging - which every kid wants to do. I appreciated this the more I played through the years. At ten, I was very motivated and extremely competitive and wanted to be the best. However, I learned early in my career that it is much more fun to win as a team.

A) I think the most important thing they did was to let me have fun while I was playing youth sports without putting a lot of pressure on me to excel at one sport. I played soccer, football, basketball, baseball, track and golf in my grade school days. In high school I played three sports. I went to a few football and basketball camps when I was younger but never at the expense of another sport which was in season. Be supportive and present at your boy's games but don't make him think that if he makes mistakes or doesn't win a game he is disappointing you. You can't want it more for him than he does for himself. I have said many times, it has to be fun. If your son has the potential to play beyond his high school years, it will become very obvious.

A) I am really hopeful I can go to Ireland soon to play golf and visit my relatives in Dublin and County Cork.

A) Thanks for the encouragement. I really think we can make 2005 a playoff year for the Lions. I will be back in Detroit at the start of April for conditioning, weight training and work outs. During this time I will be throwing with Roy and all the other receivers who will be there as well. In the meantime, I will be training on my own in preparation for returning to Detroit.

A) You are right. We have had some success with the 2 minute offense this year - in particular, the Minnesota and Tennessee games at the end of the year. If you use a hurray up offense it can change the momentum but the down side is you give the ball up potentially within a short period of time. Personally, I like the challenge. Another reason for the no huddle offense is to keep the defense from being able to substitute freely. You see Peyton Manning use this effectively calling plays at the line of scrimmage.

A) It's great that kids have dreams about their athletic future, whether it's college or the pros. I have said many times that the most important thing is kids have fun competing. Sometimes parents put too much pressure on their kids to succeed, even if it's unintentional. If your son is good enough to play college football he will be noticed. Unfortunately, as a linemen there are height and weight expectations by the coaches for recruits at the Division 1 level (UO and OSU). This doesn't mean he can't play college football if he is a bit undersized . It just might be at the Division 2 or 3 level. The NCAA sets out guidelines for parents, athletes and coaches which regulate the recruiting process. My suggestion is that your son consider a college where he would want to go to school regardless of football. College football is a full time job and if he doesn't enjoy the setting, football won't be enough to make him happy. I didn't even think about the NFL until I was going into my senior year at Oregon. That's a long way out. If he is good enough to play at that level, they will certainly find him.

A) After a 20 game season (including preseason games) it's just nice to get some down time. Our season is almost twice as long as a college season which is probably one of the biggest adjustments a rookie has to make. Even if you make it through the seaon without injury it takes awhile to recover physically and mentally. For me, it's great to get a chance to see family and friends again in Oregon. I will start informal weight training again in February and begin throwing some as well. The Lions report back for workouts and mini-camps April 4. So I will return to Detroit for workouts and practice until about mid-June. We get about another month off and then preseason practice starts again in mid-July.

A) Plans are in the works. Details will be coming later this spring.

A) I want to thank the many people who have sent me messages of encouragement on this website over the past month or so. I am sorry that I just don't have the time to answer them all. We have been so close in many games where the result could have been different based on a play or two. I won't lie and say it doesn't bother me. However, I think we are a better team this year than last and we are getting closer to turning this around. Thanks for staying loyal to the Lions. It's going to get better. I appreciate the support of all those who have taken the time to send me their thoughts.

A) It has been my good fortune to have the means to share with others and I am really excited about my foundation which is dedicated to the health, education and safety of youth. The foundation is relatively new and I hope to be able to expand its reach as I have more time to become personally involved in fund raising activities. Regarding Christmas, my family is coming back to Detroit this year which will be nice.