Jonathan Stewart: Youth Sports Build Community, Not Just Athletes

Youth sports offer far more than the potential for athletic stardom; they are crucial for developing community, instilling positive habits, and guiding young individuals into adulthood, according to former Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart.

Stewart, who played 11 seasons in the NFL, now coaches a middle school football team alongside former teammates Greg Olsen and Luke Kuechly. He believes the primary value of youth sports lies in providing a supportive community where children can learn essential life skills. "The truth about youth sports, it is not for your kid to become an NFL great," Stewart told OutKick. "Youth sports gives your kid a community."

He explained that this community helps children learn to prioritize their time, balancing sports with academic responsibilities and chores at home. "You are a kid, you have to make time to play. You have to make time to study, you have to make time to take care of the things at home... you are becoming a man, a young man. And this is the community for it."

Stewart finds coaching middle schoolers particularly rewarding due to their impressionability. He sees them as "sponges" eager to learn and receptive to guidance. "You can talk to them like adults, and they'll receive it and they'll believe it and trust it," he said. This age group, he believes, is at a critical juncture where they are finding their way, and sports provide a platform for belonging and purpose among peers.

"I see a lot of the kids on our team, I'm like, man, if it wasn't for football, who knows where this kid would be," Stewart reflected. "What would he be doing after school? Would he be at home by himself, or is he here amongst guys having fellowship before practice?"

Stewart’s coaching journey began when Olsen and Kuechly, who were coaching Olsen’s sons, invited him to join. Initially hesitant because he has daughters and didn't see himself coaching football, Stewart eventually joined the staff at Charlotte Christian School when his daughters began attending. His daughters, who did not see him play professionally, have shown increased interest in the sport through his coaching.

He views football as a teacher of significant life lessons, including selflessness, responsibility, and prioritization. "But most importantly, it teaches you more about yourself and what you can get out of yourself," Stewart stated.

Stewart recalled a player named Jack, who started as a small seventh grader and has since grown in confidence and skill. "We put him in at running back yesterday, and we gave him a toss, first toss of the year. Stiff-arm a guy, scores a touchdown, right? And that’s what makes you feel good," Stewart said, highlighting the rewarding nature of witnessing player development.

In contrast to increasingly contentious youth sports environments, Stewart emphasized the core purpose of these activities: the kids and the community they foster.

Stewart, a former Pro Bowl running back, spent 10 seasons with the Panthers and one with the New York Giants. In 134 career games, he accumulated 7,335 rushing yards and 51 touchdowns, with 162 receptions for 1,295 yards and seven touchdowns. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2015.