Athletic Dreams & Demands

by Jon Finkel

Todd Marinovich had his sports career cut out for him, but his rise and fall is now legendary. His father, Marv Marinovich, was an offensive lineman and assistant coach for the Oakland Raiders, and he groomed Todd for the NFL from the moment he was born. By age 10, Todd was working with a throwing coach and weight-lifting became part of his pre-teen preparation to become a professional quarterback. He had the arm and the size, but ultimately he did not have the character. For a while, father’s champion-building strategy worked. Todd set a national record with 9,194 passing yards while at Capistrano Valley High in Mission Viejo, which led him to a scholarship to play quarterback for USC, where he was arrested for drug charges and suspended from the team twice. He was eventually drafted by the Raiders and played one season before his drug problems ended his career. For parents who like to see their children get involved in athletics, the lesson learned of Marinovich is to focus on the character bulding, not the champion building.

Fear, Failure and Frustration