Next Level Football
Next Level Football
College Preparation Program
2024 Next Level Football Participant Application
Next Level Football
is a unique college preparation program, which was founded by Brockton High School alumnus Macey Russell of Choate, Hall & Steward LLP. The program was launched in 2015 with 15 members and now annually serves more than 50 under-resourced youth from the City of Brockton in grades 8-12, providing them with academic and mentoring supports to help them thrive as student-athletes at the collegiate level so they can blaze new trails of achievement and transform the trajectories of their lives. Over a 12-week period, participants learn about the academic expectations at the college level and how to be a role model in their community. Football may be what gets our teens through the doors, but they leave with the drive, desire, and skill set they need to achieve off the field as well.
In May of 2019 Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA)
presented our program with the 2019 Honor Award for Program Excellence. This is BGCA's most coveted and prestigious program award!
This award recognizes the Next Level Football program as the #1 "Sports, Fitness, and Recreation" program
being run by a Boys & Girls Club anywhere in the country. We were chosen out of 4,200 Clubs nationally! In addition to taking Gold in this category in 2019, Next Level Football was awarded the Silver
(runner up) Merit Award in 2017.
(runner up) Merit Award in 2017.
Next Level Football goes beyond teaching teens about football by preparing them for rigorous college academics and instilling valuable life skills such as respect, professionalism, and accountability. We aim to prepare youth to graduate high school and attend college by maximizing their academic and athletic potential. The program uses the love of the game of football to motivate participants on the field and in the classroom. The program changes the culture surrounding academics in an urban community where scholastic achievement is not always as supported or celebrated in the same ways as athletic accomplishments. The participants in the Next Level Football college preparation program are emerging leaders who serve as role models to others in their classrooms and at the Club.
Studies show that teens who are involved in competitive sports perform academically higher than their peers. The Next Level Football College Prep Program at the Boys & Girls Club of Brockton strives to teach the youth of Brockton the ABC's of football, of academia, and of life. With a Community Disadvantage Index score of 10 out of a maximum of 10, Brockton youth are facing unique challenges which act as barriers to their success.
Each year our young athletes attend Saturday morning classes every week from late January through late April. They come because of a desire to excel athletically and academically. After class, student-athletes participate in a two hour workout to increase physical fitness and their ability to perform at a high level. We provide them with a breakfast, a snack, and lunch after their workout. We also provide them with workout gear. After completing the class sessions, we take approximately 20 dedicated athletes on tours of colleges and universities in the region. For our most outstanding student-athletes, we also offer scholarship opportunities to attend football camps in an effort to be recognized by college football scouts.
The goal of the program is for our youth to enroll in four-year college after graduation from high school. We are thrilled to report that over 95% of the youth in Next Level Football enroll in a 4-year college or university after high school graduation. This stands in stark contrast to the 40% of Brockton High School students who report planning to attend like-institutions to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education. Perhaps the best way to describe our program is to say that we provide the youth of Brockton with the same type of support a student athlete living in an affluent community might receive.
Education is a critical component of the Next Level Football college preparation program. We recognize that without a proper education our athletes will not be prepared for life after any potential football career they might have. For that reason, our discussions are dynamic and eye-opening. Guest speakers include former college and professional football players, an African-American medical research scientist with a PhD from Harvard, and a former high school football coach with over 35 years of experience. The lectures include studying tips, how to apply to college admissions and financial aid, how to prepare resumes and for interviews, how to overcome peer pressure, how to sharpen vocabulary skills, time management best practices, and much more. Our teens have the potential to become leaders in the community and we know that as they realize their own goals they will be committed to reaching back to help others in their community because of the support and mentorship they have received through the Next Level Football college preparation program.