I'm definitely not one who agrees with President Obama on his politics, but I admire how serves as a role model for a lot of young black men across the country from places like Pahokee. I think it is really important for young men like Damon Weaver to have, at the very least, some confidence to believe they can dream to become the leader of our great country. Forty years ago, I think it would be difficult for many African Americans to aspire assuredly toward the highest office in American politics. At least with the election of President Obama, we can know genuinely tell these children they too can do dream big and become anything they want to be if they put in the hard work.
Additionally, I think it is great for Michigan to have a presence in place like The Muck and other hard-scrabble places across the South because. I really believe the kind of experiences these young men have at an institution like Michigan can have a hugely positive effect on them and perhaps translate to their communities as well. Not only is it a smart move from an athletic perspective to get these kids, but I think it can serve (perhaps unintenionally) a greater social good too. I like the attitude and on-the-field work ethic I see from the interviews/highlights of Tay Odoms, Vincent Smith and Hawthorne. They seem like a hard working group of kids. I really admire the kind of character it takes for a young guy to avoid the dangerous shortcuts and pitfalls of their peers in that kind of environment, and I really hope they go on to do great things on and off the field.
Ivy League schools are particularly savvy in terms of deciphering the degree of difficulty of a school's particular curriculum. Especially if your son happens to attend a public high school, the AP/IB program will help level the playing field significantly. It should come as no surprise that many students who attend Harvard, Yale, Princeton, UPenn, Dartmouth, Columbia, Brown and Cornell are from a fairly small sample of Northeast prep schools - where AP/IB are emphasized - so his scores on AP/IB will give admissions officers a more relevant metric to compare him to their previous applicants.
However, make sure he continues to stay involved on the field and, perhaps, one non-athletic extra-curricular activity. These schools are becoming more and more rigorous in their admissions so sports and (notable) extra-curricular activities (i.e. Forensics, Debate, Model UN) are becoming more important to the overall picture.
Good Luck!
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