The Conversation You’re Avoiding—And Why Your Players Need It
Eagles WR AJ Brown recent talk (shown above) is SPOT ON. This topic is probably one that players in our locker room need our voices the MOST in—but we as coaches are the LEAST likely to engage with. Porn use, and the impact it can have on a consumer’s psyche, expectations, and BEHAVIOR in intimate relationships.
The research is clear. The testimonies exist. The lived experiences we KNOW to be reality are shareable. Yet we avoid it. Out of anxiety. Out of guilt. Out of shame. And parents don’t step into the gap either.
What porn teaches our young men about women, consent, and sexual situations (real and implied) WILL affect their lives. And most likely NEGATIVELY if we continue to ignore it.
At the very least, show them this clip and ask: “What does he mean?”
Next step, take yourself on a visit to Fight the New Drug.
Level up by bringing us in to run our workshop with your staff and your guys—on all aspects of this topic. You would NEVER trust a random coach to teach your team Cover 2, a press break, or corner kick set pieces. Why on earth are we letting the adult film industry teach them about sex?
Coach Prompts
When’s the last time I created space for my players to talk honestly about what they’ve already been taught about sex and relationships?
Am I modeling emotional fluency—or avoiding hard topics out of my own discomfort?
Do I believe it’s my role to talk about this, or am I hiding behind “that’s not my job”?
Player Prompts
What messages about women and sex are you getting from porn? Do you think those are healthy or realistic?
When AJ Brown says porn “desensitizes your brain,” what does he mean? How might that show up in your life?
Who do you want teaching you about relationships: your teammates, porn, or someone you trust?
