3 Lessons the NFL Draft Can Teach Us About Parenting on Porn

“Thirty-two teams, seven rounds, 224 young men who, today, are about to become players in the National Football League. A day where lives are changed, fates are decided, dynasties are born, and the clock is always ticking. Of course, I’m talking about… Draft Day.” –Chris Berman, Draft Day 

On April 28, many of us will be glued in front of our big screen TV, eagerly awaiting Roger Goodell’s announcement for the first pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Like it or not, the NFL commands the attention of millions of people in this country and around the globe. I am certainly curious who will be drafted in the first round, but I will not be watching it on live television.

Instead of worrying about who the #1 pick will be, I’d like to share three lessons the NFL Draft can teach us about parenting on porn.

Lesson #1: Seek Advice

At the end of February, 332 college football players traveled to Indianapolis for what may be one of the toughest job interviews known to man, the NFL Combine. NFL teams employ scouts, physicians, psychologists, trainers, performance analysts, and other specialists to analyze each potential draft pick.

Once a player arrives at the NFL Combine, these team specialists begin to study each player on a much higher level for the sole purpose of passing this information on to the team owner, coaching staff, and front office administration.

The amount of data is staggering, but you can be assured that the front office staff knows nearly everything about the players they are willing to invest millions of dollars in.

Just as an NFL head coach seeks out every piece of information on his prospect, we must also find out every piece of relevant information we can on the subject of pornography. We can do this by seeking the counsel of family, friends, professional counselors, pastors, or other experts on the topic, like Covenant Eyes!

Most likely, our family and friends have discussed the very topic of pornography with their son or daughter and may have some great ideas on how to engage in conversation with your child. Find out everything you can about the dangers, traps, and devastation that pornography can cause in your child’s life. If you already know that he or she has fallen into a porn addiction, seek professional help now!

Lesson #2: Schedule a 15-Minute Interview

Did you know that each NFL team is granted a 15-minute interview with up to 60 prospects of their choice? According to Jenny Vrentas from SI.com, the NFL Combine interview is “an NFL gantlet,” in which team staff ask a series of rapid-fire questions on subjects ranging from the player’s friends to his leadership style as well as his football intelligence and overall demeanor. Talk about nerve-racking!

But just like the 15-minute interview makes both coaches and players nervous, talking to our children about porn will make us anxious, uncomfortable, and nervous as well.

Schedule a 15-minute interview of your own to talk with your child about pornography. Jot down a few questions you want to ask your child and prepare your responses. Both you and your child will greatly benefit from this 15-minute interview and will be on your way to opening the door for future conversations.

Lesson #3: You are officially ‘on the clock.’

On April 28, after all of the expert analysis and all of the speculation, Goodell will walk across the stage of the 2016 NFL Draft and announce that the Los Angeles Rams are officially ‘on the clock.’ Once he makes his announcement, the Rams will have only ten minutes to choose their top pick!

I can only imagine the stress level back at the team’s draft headquarters. With all of the expert opinions, analysis, interviews, and testing, it all comes down to ten minutes. A decision must be made. Someone on the team must make the final decision to select the first pick of the draft.

And so it is with us as parents—only we can make the final decision when and how to talk with our kids about pornography. We can listen to all of the advice from others, but we must make the decision to talk to our children about the dangers of pornography.

Parents, you are now ‘on the clock’ to teach your child about pornography. If you don’t, someone else surely will.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

Mark LaMaster • Mark is the author of Friday Night Light Lights for Fathers and Sons and is also a parenting coach and speaker. See his website here!