Welcome back everyone,

First of all - thanks for the feedback on last week’s A24 piece.

It was fun to write and, honestly, I can’t wait to see how genius creatives will navigate this new “AI era.”

Speaking of AI…we’ve discussed it a lot recently. While it plays an important role in the fight to preserve Human-Proof Experiences, this isn’t an AI newsletter.

Which is why I’m excited to focus this week on something so beautiful, so pure, so American:

High School Football

It is one of the most Human-Proof Experiences around.

Allow me to explain…

Part 1: Students & Athletes

Last week, I mentioned that I picked up a gig making content for MaxPreps this fall as part of their High School Football Friday Night Game of the Week.

It has been an incredibly rewarding experience.

First of all, it’s been so fun to interview high school athletes. They’re well-spoken, respectful, engaging, and entertaining in a sort of innocent, youthful way that seems to escape us as we grow older.

Some are shy; some are loud. Some are the sons of NFL legends; others are fighting for D1 offers. But at the end of the day, all of them are playing a sport they love surrounded by family, friends, and mentors who are guiding them through one of the most transformative experiences of their lives.

Part 2: Coaches & Mentors

Speaking of mentors, it’s easy to forget how important the role of organized sports/activities are in the development of young men in particular. I played high school sports - and we had a football team - but these kids are coming up at some of the top programs in the country and are on the precipice of big money, big opportunities, and big temptations.

These coaches and team managers are leading young men and instilling values, principles, and habits that will guide this next generation through whatever life is gonna throw at them.

Part 3: Community

Finally - the family and friends, or what I would prefer to call: The Community.

Of the 3 pillars, the community element of high school football stands out the most. The parents, grandparents, alumni, classmates, siblings…they all come together on Friday Nights to create one of the most palpable, energetic, fraternal, and authentically human experiences I have been a part of in a long time. Everybody knows each other. Everybody’s chatting. Everybody is there because they care - because they’re connected.

The size and dynamics of the environment are perfect: small enough to feel intimate, yet large enough to feel fortified. Maybe most important of all: free from the commercialization that has fully captured both the NFL and now College. The ticket booths and snack bars are run by parents, not paid employees. The halftime is a marching band, not a big screen gimmick. The stands are packed with dogs and strollers, not shirtless drunks.

The whole experience is deeply Human-Proof, and a perfect poster child for one, at that.

Why Sports Matter

I have always loved sports - but as I’ve aged, I’ve gotten more cynical about their role and importance in society. I’ve been jaded by the degenerate gambling, the cheap media, and the perceived unimportance compared to more pressing cultural issues of our time.

However - all it took was one week at De La Salle High School (and St. John Bosco this week) to appreciate just how vital high school sports are to developing individuals and building communities simultaneously. It’s a truly symbiotic relationship - and one that’s more important than ever because of necessary inputs (discipline, sacrifice, and responsibility) and beneficial outputs (trust, relationships, and camaraderie).

It’s these environments where individual character is built, and community bonds are reinforced, which strengthens our cultural fortitude in arenas way beyond the high school campus.

Looking Ahead

High School Football won’t be disrupted by AI or tech, like other areas we’ve discussed. In fact, all live sports are the final frontier in an automated world. There’s a reason last week’s OSU-Texas game was the most watched of all time: we crave the unscripted human-proof drama that unfolds on the gridiron.

But it’s easy to see how the world of NIL (and everything that comes with it) can seep into the high school system. Commercialization is the biggest threat, and one that can contaminate the beautiful integrity of the sport and the role it plays in developing the individual and the community. Let’s hold the line.

2 More Sports Related Stories…

Saquon Barkley has one of the most impressive investment portfolios of any athlete person I’ve ever seen.

Pablo Torre, friend of the newsletter (he likes my tweets), is back again with an explosive story about Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers.

This Week’s Playlist

May or may not be inspired by all the hip hop these kids are blasting at practice…

RP WEEKLY!!!!!