CEO of FSP talks spring football importance, relationship with Michigan
Spring football has concluded in the state of Washington with last weekend's annual "Battle of the Brands" taking place in Tacoma. The event saw Ford Sports Performance, a year-round football training and development academy, overcoming Team Heir in a 21-10 win.
FSP is home to several key Michigan recruiting targets with a handful of them taking part in the game. Some of the more notable names who have yet to commit to other schools are 2023 three-star interior lineman Landen Hatchett, 2023 Rivals100 four-star cornerback Caleb Presley, 2024 Rivals100 four-star interior offensive lineman Isendre Ahfua, and 2023 three-star tight end Kade Eldridge.
Before the game, Maize & Blue Review spoke with FSP CEO and founder Tracy Ford to get his thoughts on the importance of spring football for high school players and his organization's relationship with Michigan in recent years.
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On the benefits of having "Battle of the Brands"
"I think the biggest thing is that we need someone to play. Look, at the end of the day, it's us versus us. It isn't even us versus them. We need someone to play. Next year, we're coming after Bishop Gorman. We want them in the spring. We pad up in the spring and so do they."
On future goals with "Battle of the Brands"
"We want to bring awareness not only to spring football but with club football. Who knows, FSP might be playing six national games in the fall. That's kind of what everyone is working towards. People have to see that club football exists. "Battle of the Brands" might keep going on but there's only one brand that's strong enough. Therefore, this gives us an opportunity to showcase our brand."
On FSP being a nationally known commodity
"I just think about the work that we've put in over the years. You look at some of the guys who have came through the program who have competed on our turf and facility. Those guys have moved on to college and the NFL. Going back to 2013, 16 percent of our kids who went Division I ending up signing NFL contracts. That's a big deal. When there's only a one percent chance of making it to the league but 16 percent of our guys have made it to that level. That right there is proof of our program versus anything else."
On having spring football available in Washington
"It's extremely important, especially for FSP. When I'm thinking about that is these guy's get to compete against the best of the best at practice. That is what's most important is practice. When these players get into college, if you can't make plays in the field, you're probably never going to get onto the field. So, if we're able to get their minds right and have that understanding right now by practicing how you play. Competing against the best at practice and if you succeed, you have more of an opportunity to ball out on the field."
On advantages of padding up before August
"It's important because August is where you're going to be back with your team but this time now is where you can get that edge. There's not too many times where you get to be coached by guys like Jim Zorn and Clayton Lopez. You just don't get that experience at very many places. So this time now is going help these players get into a rhythm in order to become better football players in the fall."
On the lessons learned during spring football
"I just look for guys to compete. At the end of the day, it's a time for them to showcase their skills, but they still have to do their job. They have to do the things that they learned at practice and not just be people who want to make plays. We preach that if one person eats, we all eat. This is a team game, right? So understanding that team aspect and getting out there to do what they're supposed to do."
On the state of football in Washington
"I think we're overlooked a lot and these kind of events shows that there's talent here in Washington. Granted, we have the bulk of the talent, but there's some talent as well on the other side. We just know that the real ones want to compete against the best. They're not here for the show. They want to know what it's like to be coached at a high level and practice at a high level. Those kids play for FSP."
On communication with Michigan
"I think it's good. We're trying to get out there in the summer to try to see more of the program. We're trying to see what more we can learn about them soon. But it's a good relationship. We went out there last year for the game against Washington. That atmosphere was second-to-none. I think that definitely made a big impact on our players and program."
On time spent at the Big House
"It was something that you can't experience anywhere else. Seeing something like that was really awesome for our players. It was also game changing to the point where the player got to see a different style of football where it's taken more seriously."
On reasons for FSP players liking Michigan
"I think it's just the atmosphere. That atmosphere is big time college football. That's something that's really intriguing for them. (Michigan) has done a really good job (in prioritizing us) too. We'll see how everything transpires once we head down there summer. We're planning on going down there mid-June."
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