Freddie Brown, the head coach at Spartanburg High School, was at Dillon High School recently to present the National Guard NFL High School Player Development program.

A large part of the presentation focused on character development. Among the topics that Brown covered were time management, social media, bullying and cyberbullying, sportsmanship, leadership, citizenship, relationships, stress management and more.

One of the things he stressed to the students was that the internet can get one in trouble. He said that the students needed to be smart when on the internet and said that it can be good if it is used for the right thing.

Brown also talked about sportsmanship and standing together as a team. He said when the game is over, the game is over. He said students needed to have self-control.

Brown said leadership is not a statistic. He said is a leader is the person who is on time with the right attitude and the right mindset, someone who leads by example.

He also spoke about citizenship. Brown said you can be a “cool dude” and still do the right thing.

Controlling emotions was another topic he touched on. He said when handling their emotions students should consider whether the person, situation, etc. is worth them losing their life. He said to ask themselves, “Can I give my life up for…”

Other topics he discussed were study skills, healthy lifestyles, concussion awareness and showing respect.

According to their website, “The NFL High School Player Development program addresses challenges facing high school football programs across the country focusing primarily on underserved communities. HSPD serves as a free resource for both high school player and coaches. The program emphasizes safety and concussion awareness, character development and life skills, and football fundamentals.”

For more information, please visit http://www.nflhspd.com.