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Highlands Today

Coaches Keep Camp Alive

Jasmina Meyer/Highlands Today

Bethany Williams, 13, works with Coach Mike Lee during Sebring Coed Basketball Camp on Tuesday at Sebring High School.

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By CHRIS HOFFMAN

Highlands Today

Published: July 30, 2008

LAKE PLACID - Jason Holden blew his whistle and his kids sprang into action on Monday, as the Lake Placid Middle School football coach opened the Green Dragon youth football camp at Roger Scarborough Memorial Stadium.

The camp, which is in its fifth year, was nearly canceled when the news of former LP head coach Tim Grant's resignation came down the wire, but Holden and the other coaches refused to let this budding tradition die.

"We made a commitment to be here for these kids," Holden said. "The Lake Placid head football coach has always run the camp in the past, but with Grant leaving, we decided to pick up the slack.

"We've started something here in Lake Placid, and these kids want to be here, so we're here to teach them the sport of football."

Sixty-five kids turned out for the four-day camp with their sneakers on and attention focused on the numerous drills that the campers endured through the hot Florida morning.

The campers dashed 10 yards and around the coach and back to the line to build speed, while other kids tested out their defensive prowess on the tackling dummies, all used as an introduction to football.

"We've got kids from five- to 13-years-old, and many of them don't have an understanding of the game," Holden said. "This camp allows everyone to have an understanding and get exposure to each position on the football field and see where his aptitude lies."

Five-year old Jackson Griffin was impressive during tackling drills, and showed the type of enthusiasm that was infectious to the other campers in his group.

"I love football," Griffin said. "It feels good when we're tackling."

With fall approaching, many of the kids are just getting their feet wet before the real season begins.

Pop Warner football president Jon Million said he was happy with the camp's turnout, and looks over many of the kids that'll be filling out his teams' rosters when the first practice begins on Friday.

"The reason we start the camp so late in the summer is to coincide with the start of the Pop Warner football season," Million said. "This gets the kids geared back up for football, and this camp has become a real asset to the development of these kids in terms of football knowledge and love of the game."

With Avon Park and Sebring youth football leagues moving to an independent league this season, Million and the board of directors decided to stick with Pop Warner for the betterment of the kids and the growth of the sport in Lake Placid.

"We decided to stay Pop Warner because we like the league as a whole," Million said. "We like that they have weight and academic restrictions for the kids to meet before they can participate.

"Every one of these kids will have to adhere to the academic standards to play sports at the high school level. By staying in Pop Warner, we get these kids acclimated to keeping their grades up and taking their school work seriously."

Million said the camp is used as training for his Pop Warner kids and that he's seen immediate improvement from the athletes completing the challenging drills.

"You see the kids getting better every day they're out on the field," Million said. "This gives the coaches of Pop Warner an easier time getting their teams ready for the season.

"The kids already have the fine motor skills, and coaches can concentrate more on the Xs and Os of football instead of spending so much time teaching the basics."

The Pop Warner youth football league draws 150 football players and 75 youth cheerleaders during the season with the athletes split up into six tackle and four flag football teams.

For the 2008 season, the Lake Placid tackle football teams have joined the Peace River Conference, which is a 22-team league with many of the teams from Florida's west coast.

Each team will play four home games and four on the road before the playoffs.

For more information on the league, visit www.lpathleticassociation.com and click "youth football."

LAKE PLACID YOUTH FOOTBALL

Green Dragon youth football camp runs through Thursday, 9 a.m. to noon at Scarborough Field

Lake Placid Pop Warner practice begins Friday

For more information, visit lpathleticassociation.com and click "youth sports"

Chris Hoffman can be reached at 863-386-5827 or at choffman@highlandstoday.com.

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