Elite 11: Opportunities to Succeed

Success measures differently for many people. Some measure success in money, while others look at their personal, self-rewarding accomplishments. There is no right or wrong way to define success, but there are others with more experience who can help one achieve success or lead them on the right path.

As football quarterbacks, one of the biggest accomplishments during their high school career is being invited to participate in the Elite 11. Elite 11 began in 1999 to help rising high school senior quarterbacks, who show extraordinary talent, learn and fine tune their skills in all aspects of the game and beyond. This event begins about three months before the finals to pick out the best of the best. The finals consist of only 20 quarterbacks. This year, the Elite 11 took place at Redondo Union High School.

Quarterbacks, graduating in the class of 2023, take the field to showcase their skills and themselves. This year’s top 20 finalists will go on to college all over the United States, and this information is available on the Elite 11 website. Elite 11 promotes the quarterbacks on Instagram (@elite11).

The field of Redondo Union High School will always be a personal gold medal for a few of the 2022 finalists.

Malachi Nelson is a USC commit who works hard at his game on the field, but even harder off the field. During this event, Nelson balanced media interviews with playing the game he enjoys. Being a local, Nelson received many interested reporters wanting to learn about him and his ‘home-field’ perspective. Nelson teamed up with two other local quarterbacks: Pierce Clarkson and Jaxon Smolik.

Clarkson committed to University of Louisville and is part of the 2023 incoming college freshman class. He not only dedicates his focus to the game during practice hours, but he also laughs and smiles with his fellow Elite 11 teammates, especially during the Rail Shot Challenge. This challenge is judged by the coaches and fellow alumni to determine the best throw in the “go-to zone.” Any catch outside of the zone eliminates the quarterback. Going through warm-up throws and many rounds of elimination, Clarkson won in the final round. A big yell and laughter grew on the field causing high-fives all around. Clarkson enjoys the moment of championship, yet he remains humble with the post-game interview. The challenge shows Clarkson’s excitement to be at the Elite 11, but it more subtly reveals his respect and dedication to be the best.

One of the initial finalists could not make it, so they reached out to the 21st quarterback to join. Smolik will continue his quarterback career at Tulane University. This young man received a last-minute chance to be part of the finals because Nico Iamaleava couldn’t make it. Smolik seizes the opportunity and makes a bigger name for himself. He receives no physical awards, but he earns respect from great athletes and coaches all over. Smolik’s name will be remembered and honored in the Elite 11 class of 2022 because he stood out with his skills, perseverance, and humility.

The champion of it all. The MVP. Jackson Arnold takes the big gold home. Arnold battles to the top and creates his own name. The coaches put into perspective performances on and off the field. Arnold performs with focus, intensity, and strives to make everyone around him better. When the game is on, Arnold lets out a deep breath to let go of his personal, off-the-field struggles. The talent and dedication Arnold exemplifies help explain the coaches’ decision to name him the MVP.

Alternatively, the goal of the Elite 11 is not to only help improve each quarterbacks’ game, this event’s goal is to put a name to the face of the extraordinary talents these young men possess.

Having the opportunity to be part of the finals, in any aspect, is incredible.

The coaching staff and directors of Elite 11 ran a smooth sailing, hardworking three days. The focus on day one is to loosen up the athletes and build their rhythm. The following day, the goal is to fix the tiniest problems and increase live drill throws. On the final day, the game plan creates a mix between target practice and live seven-on-seven. Through each drill and each day, the coaches experience everything from throwing to personal conversations with the young men. Not only are the quarterbacks running through the drill, but the coaches are on the other end making sure each quarterback is set up for success. 

The drills are great for the quarterbacks, but there is one other person who needs to be on the other side of the throw to catch it. Ronny Torres reviewed each player submission form for the wide receivers, tight ends, offensive linemen, and defensive linemen. Not only were the best quarterbacks picked for the finals, but the other positions were also filled with talented athletes to allow the best players to catch the ball. The alternative positions could be younger than rising seniors, but their age did not stop some of them from standing out. Each player on the field made an impression on someone, somewhere. Because talent on the field scores touchdowns, the players' football careers and lives changed.

There are more talented people on the sidelines and behind the scenes.

Television and social media create ways for fans of football and the Elite 11 to stay up to date while they are on the go. The people reporting live from Elite 11 are the sportscasters, photographers, and production teams.

Elite 11 is an opportunity for sportscasters to get to know the young athletes before their future successes and fame. Joey Vergilis currently works with Balley Sports, and he explains one benefit of speaking to the athletes is building network connections for future reference. Vergilis speaks about finding one key aspect in any event that is the focus or talk-of-the-town. In the case of the Elite 11, the focus surrounded the local quarterbacks because they were performing in their “backyard.”

“For me interacting with guys like Malachi Nelson (USC Commit), Pierce Clarkson (Louisville commit), and Marcus Stokes (Penn State commit) was exciting; all three of these young men conducted themselves like seasoned vets during our interactions and gave me insight into their maturity levels,” Vergilis states.

Balley Sports is not the only group relying on Elite 11 for stories, the photographers on the sidelines build visual, standstill stories. The simplest in-action shots have the possibility of reaching hundreds. Photographers sometimes struggle with finding the right shot or focus, but the story always reveals itself in the end. Elite 11 allows for the athletes and coaches on the field to shine bright in the media, while photographers build memories for everyone on the sidelines.

There remains one more group of people who live behind-the-scenes creating and editing what the public sees. In the case of the Elite 11, the production team is part of Student Sports. The production side of the event includes live photographs, video, and short interviews. These people rarely are seen by the public because they are actively dropping photos and films into editing software to save time after the event. This process helps with uploading the final edit to the public as soon as possible. Everything needs to be run or organized by a producer, especially the live video people watch. Student Sports production team makes sure Elite 11 projects to the interested community, as well as making them feel they are experiencing the event from wherever they are.

For many people, sports help improve themselves and find joy in life. Elite 11 is a dream for some and joy for others. Competing from day one of regionals to the last day of finals reveals passion and dedication to be the best. On the field, the final quarterbacks prove their skills and love for the game. Off the field, their personalities resemble honor, respect, and maturity in the world. Life is about taking risks. The top twenty quarterbacks stepping onto the Redondo Union football field took the risk to be the best. And they are.