The story of Madden San Miguel caught the attention of social media over the weekend when the young soccer player known as «Baby Gronk» and his father were interviewed on The Athletic.
Jake San Miguel, the father of the 10-year-old boy, has helped his son amass more than 300,000 followers on social media. The boy’s Instagram is full of photos of himself in several different uniforms, as well as photos with Aaron Judge, Mark Wahlberg, and LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne. San Miguel told the publication that he does all the marketing for his son and tries his best to balance reality with the Internet.
«I’ve had a plan for my son since before he was born,» he told The Athletic. «He is playing now.»
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A football against a pylon before the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on September 10, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)
San Miguel added that his son is «the real deal» and «he tries really hard.»
«It’s not just because of the content,» he told The Athletic. «We put in five or six days a week of training. He diets, eats clean foods, salmon and brown rice. He’s on a grind. He’s a real athlete. He’s not a normal kid. Normal kids are emotional. They put their low on the head when they make mistakes, talks back to trainers, makes noises, but he doesn’t do that. He’s been trained and programmed since he was 6 years old.»
But the plan didn’t sit well with everyone in the sports world. The emphasis on putting young athletes in a sport for the rest of their young career is one of the most debated topics in youth sports.
JJ Watt of the Arizona Cardinals walks off the field after the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on January 8, 2023 in Santa Clara, California. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Former NFL star JJ Watt believes that kids should be able to play multiple sports.
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«I’ve always said…Kids should play multiple sports and be allowed to be kids,» he tweeted on Friday.
«I’m not against advanced leagues, better competition, etc. But no kid should play a sport all year and no kid should train ‘like a pro’ until at least high school. They’re kids.»
Paige Spiranac, a former college golfer who is among the top influencers in her sport, former NFL offensive lineman Taylor Lewan and ESPN host Ashley Brewer also shared their DMs from the «Baby Gronk» account trying to get Contact for collaborations.
Paige Spiranac attends ACM Lifting Lives Topgolf Tee-Off & Rock On on March 6, 2022 in Las Vegas. (David Becker/Getty Images for ACM)
San Miguel told The Athletic that his son makes about $100,000 a year and he’s putting it away so he can have a future, even if he doesn’t turn pro.
Others also reacted.
«I don’t think my son is a God or better than all these other kids. His goal is to go to the NFL. But the NFL is weird. It’s hard to do. So my goal is to build him a platform.» and a group of followers where he’s making money now and it’s going into a savings account,» he said.
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«You just keep piling up, being part of companies, this and that. By the time you’re a senior in high school, a millionaire or more, and well taken care of. That way, you can live a good life without fighting or worrying. It’s the insurance behind sports. You don’t have to go pro anymore. Like Livvy Dunne, she’s already set up for life thanks to the internet.»