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Highlands Today

Football Campers Get Fundamental Focus

CHRIS HOFFMAN/Highlands Today

Instructor Zep Augustine teaches participants proper footwork on Saturday during the C&C All-Star Football Clinic at Memorial Field in Avon Park.

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By Christopher  Hoffman | Highlands Today

Published: June 8, 2008

AVON PARK — Eight-year old A.J. Mitchell stood in the proper stance and took off like a dart when the word "Go" was yelled, running his route with a huge smile on his face.

It was a classic tale of grin meeting gridiron, as Mitchell got his first taste of football along with 70 kids from Highlands County, who braved the muggy mornings and participated in the C&C All-Star Football Clinic at Memorial Field.

Chris Hawthorne and Gaingo Hipps of Avon Park, along with former Lake Placid and Florida Gator football player Zep Augustine, organized the fundamentals clinic and were pleased with the turnout.

"We're trying to emphasize the fundamentals with all the kids," Augustine said. "We want to introduce the kids to competition and teach them to love the game of football."

The kids were broken down into three age groups (ages 6-10, 11-13 and 14-16) and run through basic stretching and warm-up exercises before breaking them off with their position instructors.

"We try and let all the kids play a lot of different positions," Augustine said. "But after observing them, we tend to place them where they're best suited, much like a real football team does."

Augustine, who is an assistant coach for the Green Dragons, has been running camps in the Highlands County area for the last two years. A former walk-on at the University of Florida, Augustine showed enough heart and determination to warrant a scholarship during his senior season for the Gators.

Now he wants to pass on his knowledge and his love for the game of football.

"Football changed my life," Augustine said. "It was a driving force for me to do well in school and I worked so hard to earn my spot on the Gators."

Many of these kids are years away from the rigors of college sports — and even high school athletics — but Augustine understands that learning the fundamentals starts at a young age.

After fundamental drills, the kids took part in a scrimmage to show off the skills they've learned during the clinic.

"I've always wanted to be a quarterback," said 10-year old Chris Mitchell. "I can't wait to throw some passes in a real game."

Current Lake Placid player Navari Holden and Avon Park's Calego Hipps Jr. were on hand to assistant with the kids.

Photos and list of award winners are available at www.nextlevelsportsonline.com.

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