The Chosen Few 1213 is a recruiting service that provides exposure for the student athlete to various levels of colleges and teaches them the word of God through the techniques and discipline of football.When Lance McFarland left football he was satisfied with his legacy on the field. He stepped away from coaching high school football to assume an even bigger role in a young athlete’s life, one that doesn’t focus so much on being a better athlete but evolving into a young man both mentally and physically. Unlike some recruiting services that focus on the numbers, McFarland focuses on the athlete’s character and integrity through his thorough interviewing process.
McFarland began playing flag football in the P.A.L. (Police Athletic League), then Pop Warner and onto Highlands Middle School, where he received an award for Most Improved Player. He played high school football at Mandarin High, where he was awarded All-Conference and All-City honors with a college offer, but he decided to go into trade school and become a Merchant Mariner. He found out about Minor League football and decided to continue playing. He played for four years, and in all four years made the All-Star teams. In 2010 he was awarded FFA Offensive Lineman of the Year. After his last season he was offered a tryout by the Miami Dolphins but turned it down to start his coaching career.
In 2010, McFarland began coaching high school football and soon realized that there were a lot of young men in need of a mentor as well a recruiting coach at many different area schools. “That’s when I was led to walk away from coaching at one main school and put myself in position to share my recruiting knowledge and coaching techniques with many others no matter what school the young men attended. Many young men and their parents feel that if they do not get the top Division I college and university scholarships that their chances at a good education and football career is over. But this is not the case, as there are so many colleges and universities with football programs on various division levels that are looking for good student athletes” he says.
The purpose of The Chosen Few1213 is to give young men the best opportunity to take their football talents to the collegiate level. He truly believes that if you have the academic ability, vision to succeed, and talent, that there is a college for you. “Many times in coaching high school football, we leave the young men at the most critical time of their lives, in which is going off to college. Which is the transitioning point for most young men into manhood and the first encounter of being away from familiarity,” he says.
The Chosen Few1213 strives to stay in contact with the students through college because they are not interested in just having clients but in building relationships. “Sometimes a phone call or an email knowing that somebody cares about your development can make a big difference in a person’s life” he says.
McFarland still finds time to balance family, and spending time with his newborn son keeps him grounded. He instills the same values in his student athletes that he does with his son. Encouraging young men to do the right thing at all times will create great habits not just for their present situation but also for their future as well. “If anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules (2 Timothy 2:5)” he says.
1 on One / Jacksonville Florida / March 2014
Lance McFarland
Chosen Few 1213
Jacksonville, FL
By Joey Lopes
Coach Lance McFarland’s Chosen Few 1213
