Kayson Myrick has been playing football for a year and a half, and he already refuses to pick a side. The fifth grader from Sierra Verde Elementary in Phoenix, Arizona, Class of 2034, lines up at quarterback and at wide receiver, and he wants to keep it that way. His goal for the next stretch is simple and ambitious at the same time: grow into both positions. At receiver that means speed and route running. At quarterback it means footwork and accuracy.
Ask him what he loves most about the game and the answer comes out like a kid who is exactly where he belongs. “Learning, adjusting to the flow of the game. Having fun with my buddies.” It is a mature answer from someone who is still new to the sport. Kayson is not only chasing highlights. He is learning how a game moves, how it changes from series to series, and how to change with it. The fun part never leaves his answer, and it should not.
He has plenty of help. Coach Evan Bernard (@QBcoach_evan) works with him at quarterback, and Coach Matt at Redline Athletics has been rebuilding his running form and teaching him speed and acceleration. Kayson says the changes are already showing. When he talks about what has gotten him this far, he keeps it short: “Hard work, practice and dedication. Learning the game from both sides of the field.” That last sentence might be the best explanation of why he plays both spots. A quarterback who has run the routes knows what a receiver sees. A receiver who has played quarterback knows where the ball wants to go.
His favorite player is Justin Jefferson, which tells you a lot about the kind of receiver he wants to become. Jefferson built his name on route running and precision, the same two things Kayson is working on right now.
Then there is the play he will not forget. Kayson caught the game winning touchdown with no time left against OC Elite, a team he calls a rival. For a young player, a moment like that does something that practice reps cannot. It teaches you that the ball can find you when the game is on the line, and that you can finish.
He still has a list of things to learn, and he shares it with a grin. In football, he is after proper tackling. In life, he says, the goal is staying young. At Kayson’s age that may be the one plan nobody needs to help him with.
One and a half years in, the picture is already clear. Kayson Myrick is a student of the game, a teammate who enjoys the work, and a two way player who is putting in the hours to earn both jobs. Phoenix, and the Class of 2034, will be hearing more from him.
A note for the Myrick family
Every fall season starts with a story, and the families who get the most out of it are the ones whose athlete is easy to find and easy to remember. As Kayson heads into next fall, Pro gives the Myricks a team behind that story. Here is what Pro adds.
Custom graphics every month. Request a new one any time by emailing Hello@QuarterbackMagazine.com, and Kayson gets a fresh, branded graphic for his latest game, his latest camp, or a milestone worth sharing. Over a season, those graphics become a visual timeline of his year.
Reach and reposts. Each graphic and feature can be shared with QB Magazine’s audience of around 49,000 followers on Instagram, and when the right accounts repost, a Phoenix fifth grader’s name lands in front of people who would never have scrolled past his own page.
Name recognition that builds. One post is a moment. Posts spread across a season, plus a feature like this one, add up. Coaches, trainers and other families begin to recognize the name Kayson Myrick before they ever see him play.
A custom athlete website. Pro members get a brand new site built for the athlete, with the build, domain, hosting, monthly maintenance, and stats and photo updates all included. Kayson can add his Hudl, YouTube and photos in one place, so one link tells his whole story.
A free QB Magazine camp each year. Pro includes one camp a year, and QB Magazine holds camps in San Diego and in the Phoenix area, so there is one close to home. Yearly Pro members also receive a branded QB Magazine shirt with the athlete’s last name on the back.
A record to keep. Years from now, the graphics, features and website add up to a record of how Kayson grew as a player, from his first year and a half of football onward, something the whole family can look back on.
More info: quarterbackmagazine.com/memberships