What Football Teams Teach Us About Young Youth Pastors
NFL Hall of Famer Troy Aikman once said something that should make every leader stop and think:
“I think there’s been a lot of quarterbacks that have been drafted high who have left the game and have been labeled a bust… I think it’s unfair… I do feel that organizations and coaching has failed quarterbacks more than quarterbacks have failed organizations.”
Aikman was talking about rookie and sophomore quarterbacks—young players with talent, promise, and potential—who never quite became what everyone hoped they would be.
But he could just as easily have been talking about young youth pastors.
Talent Isn’t Enough Without the Right System
Every year, churches hire young youth pastors who are passionate, gifted, and full of vision. They’ve gone to school. They’ve interned. They’ve sensed a calling. Expectations are high.
And yet, far too many of them burn out, quit ministry, or get quietly labeled as “not a good fit.”
We often assume the problem is the pastor
But what if, like Aikman suggests, the problem is the system?
In football, even elite quarterbacks struggle when:
- The playbook doesn’t match their strengths
- The coaching is inconsistent or unclear
- The offensive line can’t protect them
- Expectations change week to week
Sound familiar?
How Churches Accidentally Ruin Young Leaders
Many churches unintentionally place young youth pastors into systems that are almost designed to fail:
- Undefined expectations – “Just grow the ministry” without clarity or metrics
- No real coaching – Supervision without mentorship
- Mismatched philosophy – A creative leader stuck in a rigid, program-driven culture
- Unrealistic timelines – Expecting overnight growth in a long-term discipleship role
- Isolation – No peer network, no voice, no advocate
When things don’t work, the conclusion is often, “They weren’t ready.”
But what if they were never given a fair shot?
Calling Doesn’t Cancel Context
A calling can be real—and still be crushed by the wrong environment.
Just like a young quarterback can have arm strength, vision, and leadership but fail in a broken system, a young youth pastor can have:
- Strong relational skills
- Solid theology
- A heart for students
- Leadership potential
…and still struggle if the church’s system doesn’t support their development.
Failure in that context doesn’t mean lack of gifting.
It often means lack of alignment.
A Better Question for Churches to Ask
Instead of immediately asking, “Why isn’t this youth pastor succeeding?”
Churches should ask:
- Have we built a system that develops young leaders—or exposes them?
- Are we coaching, or just evaluating?
- Does our ministry model match who this leader actually is?
- Would any young pastor thrive here?
Because when multiple young leaders keep “failing” in the same environment, the pattern points to the organization, not the individual.
Don’t Label a Bust What the System Broke
Troy Aikman’s insight is uncomfortable because it shifts responsibility.
It reminds us that leadership development isn’t just about identifying talent—it’s about stewarding it.
Young youth pastors don’t need perfect churches.
But they do need:
- Clear systems
- Patient coaching
- Aligned expectations
- Room to grow
Youth Pastor, before you consider yourself a “bust,” you should take an honest look at the system you are in and ask
Is this the right system for me?
Am I being developed?
Does this system lean into my strengths?
Because sometimes the quarterback doesn’t fail the team.
The system fails the quarterback.