Good Sports: 'The Program' aims to prepare Valley athletes for college football

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The statistics show just how hard it is.

Just seven percent of high school football players move on to play college football. Of those select few, just three percent play Division I.

"I kept having dreams about why I wanted to start this program and one day, I woke up and I completely lost it," says Clovis West grad, Tykee Woods. "I was like, 'You know what? I'm going to do this for the kids.'"

Woods is founding "The Program," a first of its kind in Fresno.

More than standard 7-on-7, the coaches prioritize college prep and mental toughness.

"Us as coaches, we can't just hold these kids accountable for their talents," Woods said. "We have to hold them accountable for their mental and their understanding of the game."

That means spending time off the field and in the film room.

Woods went from Clovis West to Sac State, but says that DI roster spot is just a foot in the door.

"When you get in there, your first real rep before you get first-team reps, second-team reps, it's going to be in the film room," he said to the athletes. "If you can't answer a question in the film room, you will not play."

Woods pieced together a group of coaches that grew up in the Central Valley and played college ball, all with a similar goal.

Fellow Clovis West grad Dante Chachere joined the staff without hesitation.

"It was an opportunity I couldn't pass up," he said.

The former Portland State quarterback learned the discipline it takes to be successful at the DI level his first year.

"My first fall camp, you're up there at 6 am and you don't go home until 7 pm," he said. "I was falling asleep in meetings. I'm like, 'Oh my God. This is the real deal.'"

"The Program's" goal is to make sure these middle school and high school players start working on the structure.

The players train two to three times a week, are expected to take notes during film sessions and even learn how to give a firm handshake to a college recruiter.

While the odds of making it in college football are slim, "The Program" is trying to make that jump a little easier.

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