"Carolina! Omaha ... Omaha ... Omaha! Set, Hike!" This is what I'm listening to right now as I write this post, my first for USA Football. No, I'm not listening to Peyton Manning, or any other NFL quarterback. I'm listening to my 7-year-old son as he's calling audibles to his wide receiver, our 3-year-old son. Just another day in the life of a sports parent.

My name is Jackie Bledsoe Jr., the new sports parent on the block at USAFootball.com. Professionally, I'm a writer, blogger and editor.  But more importantly, I'm a sports parent.

My guess is the scenario I described above is something that happens in your home, too. It's common in our household. At any given time, a Nerf football could zoom past you, a scramble for a fumble could happen at your feet or a touchdown dance could break out in front of you.  It's a byproduct of kids growing up in this country and being exposed to America's Game.

A community of sports parents

As the new blogger here at USA Football, I'm looking forward to sharing my experiences as a sports parent, youth coach, former athlete and lover of all things sports. My writing is sprinkled with real stories and real lessons that real parents, like you, can relate to on the field and at home.

One of my goals is to create a community here on USAFootball.com.  A community of sports parents who share some things in common ... first and foremost they have kids playing youth football.

What our community will talk about 

This is our community. We make it what we want it to be. Of course, we'll talk about football, our kids -- the youth football players -- and sports parenting advice to help us along our journey. But we'll also talk about our fears and concerns, our kids' successes, football current events and, hopefully, we can engage with some who play this game professionally.

To give you an idea of what you can expect from me, below are several popular articles I've written on my blog and some other sites. 

Fatherhood, Football and Putting Family First

Can You Coach the "'Love of the Game?"

Chat with NFL Super Bowl Champion and Sports Parent -- Rosevelt Colvin

What Youth Athletes Can Learn from Johnny Manziel

Manning Brothers Rap Reminds Us to Have Fun Playing Sports

Talking to Your Kids About Aaron Hernandez

The Responsibility and Privilege of Coaching Youth Sports

Discussion with Jerome Bettis About His Severe Allergy Issues and His Playbook to Help Others

More about me

I mentioned earlier I'm a writer, blogger and editor. I've been writing privately for years. I began writing publicly in 2011.  In addition to my blog, I write for several other blogs and websites. The list includes a coaching site, a Disney site, marriage and fatherhood sites and even an educational site.

The one common theme in my writing is it focuses on family. My family is my passion. Sports are close behind. My wife, Stephana, and I have three children -- our daughter, Jaicey (13), and our two sons, Jackson (7) and Joshua (3), whom you "met" earlier.  Yes, all "J" names...my wife's idea. ;)

We are the "typical" sports family. Whatever ball is being thrown, bounced, kicked or hit, our kids are usually involved. Football, basketball, baseball, soccer and track have been in heavy rotation since our daughter began playing sports nine years ago.

I'm usually their coach, which is usually what former athletes do. In part because we can't stay away but more so because we love the game, and we love our kids. The two make a perfect match!

What about you?

Enough about me. You are the reason I am here, and I want to know more about you. One reason I now write publicly is the new people I get to "e-meet," and engage with. The more people who engage, the more people can be reached who could benefit from the information.

So, please introduce yourself, and tell me ...

Why are you here on the USA Football site?  While you are at it, tell me what type of posts you'd like to see me write.

 

Jackie Bledsoe, Jr. writes a Family Leadership blog at jackiebledsoe.com, providing content which helps men grow in their most important roles. The roles of husband and father.  He is the author of "The Family Leader's Manifesto," and a sports parent of three.  He's played sports for over 30 years, including the collegiate level, and coached youth sports for the past nine years.  You can connect with Jackie on his blog, or Twitter (@jbledsoejr).