A DOCUMENTARY SERIES about Snoop Dogg and American football is not something we ever expected to love and yet Netflix have yet again given us a series we never knew we needed.
‘Coach Snoop’ is a documentary series produced in part by ‘Snoopadelic Films’ (yes I’m serious) which documents a season in the life of Snoop Dogg as he coaches his team Snoop’s Steelers in the Snoop Youth Football League (YSFL).
In particular the series revolves around four young boys, Maximus ‘Max’ Gibbs, Jaylin ‘J-Roc’ Smith, Sammy ‘Shady’ Green and Aaron ‘Tupac’ Ulloa.
Each of the boys is going through some form of hardship with Max’s father walking out on him and his mum, J-Roc’s mother being killed in a hit and run, Aaron losing his sister in a car accident and Sammy struggling in school while living with his grandparents.
What makes this series so good is that you can clearly see how much Snoop and his fellow coaches, particularly Kelly ‘K-Mac’ Garmon love the kids. The feeling is mutual for the boys with many of them seeing Snoop and K-Mac as important father figures in their lives.
The SYFL was set up by Snoop Dogg in 2005 as an after school programme to help as Snoop describes ‘at risk kids’ and prevent them for ‘getting involved in gangs and drugs’. Snoop himself provides most of the funding for the league which currently has 1,500 players and 75 cheers within its ranks.
It’s more to it than just football. It’s about the situations that exist when the game isn’t played, when there isn’t practice.
The league culminates in a final affectionately known as ‘The Snooperbowl’ which this season was held in Houston, Texas.
Each of the boys stories is incredibly absorbing and what’s great about it is that you can see the difference that Snoop Dogg and the YSFL is making in the boys lives. You also get an insight into what it’s like to be a teenager in these disadvantaged areas of L.A. and how many obstacles they’re up against just to make it through life.
‘Coach Snoop’ also shows the importance of family and how far the parents or parental figures are willing to support the kids without being too preachy.
As K-Mac says ‘every kid whose ever played for me they’re my family’ and though his coaching method is at times harsh, you can see how much he wants the boys to succeed ‘not just in football, but in life’.
Particularly heartwarming is the relationship between Sammy and his grandfather ex-gang member Derrick ‘Big D’ Ford who clearly loves Sammy to death but isn’t afraid to show him the lifestyle he led in an attempt to get Sammy to shape up in school.
It’s clear when watching the show that everybody involved loves what they do and that the boys and the league in general is incredibly important to everyone but particularly Snoop.
Music gave me the power to create a football league but football is taking me to places that music could never have taken me to.
With only 8 episodes of 30 mins each, ‘Coach Snoop’ is well worth your time if not for the stories but for Snoop and his turn of phrase and fashion choices.
