Summer Football Camps Offer Specialized Training, College Exposure

For many young boys growing up in Western North Carolina, their aspirations include one day possibly growing up to be a football player. For a select few, the talent and abilities mesh with work ethic and other intangibles to produce a player that may reach All-Conference status in football/ In the team dynamic, some student-athletes play well enough to propel their school to capture prep championships at the conference, regional, and sometimes even the state level.

But what about those students who wish to have a legitimate opportunity to play football at the collegiate level? It’s common knowledge that unless a player is a remarkable, one-of-a-kind type of talent, college recruiters and coaches overlook smaller high school talent in favor of players who might have similar talent, but play under a brighter spotlight in a traditional football hotbed, a more urban setting, or a larger football classification.

Fortunately for aspiring college football players in Western North Carolina, a number of collegiate coaches, recruiting coordinators, and visionaries are making a point not to forget those talented kids who could be an asset to a college football program.

Just this summer alone, a number of Avery football players have taken part in collegiate camps. One such camp took place from June 25-27, as Mars Hill College hosted the fifth annual Blue Chip Football Academy. The academy is limited to rising sophomores through rising seniors, and bills itself in its mission as “for the serious high school player who wants to play college football.”

During this particular camp, one of many camps offered throughout the Southeast and nation as a whole, players are coached and evaluated by college coaches, of whom most are major decision makers for their respective schools. Academies like the Blue Chip affords localized student-athletes the opportunity for tremendous exposure to help them fulfill their goal of playing football at the next level. As well, it affords players to learn about weight training, nutrition, injuries, and stresses the importance of academics.

Academy staff for the 2010 event included assistant coaches, head coaches, or recruiting coordinators from 43 separate institutions ranging from prep schools to junior colleges to all divisions of NCAA football. Coaches from as far as California commit to working the camp, as the academy and other various specialized camps are prime settings to find players who fly under the radar but may offer great skills and leadership to a coach’s particular program.

“By far it is the best camp I have witnessed to get players the most exposure in the shortest amount of time,” one parent has testified about the importance of the summer camps. “It was a very competitive camp. The kids learn a lot of fundamentals, but it was a working camp and fundamentals were stressed. I wish I’d known about the camp before.”

Kim Blackburn, whose son Colton was among a number of Avery High football players to attend the Blue Chip camp, came away impressed with the academy and everything it had to offer high school players hoping to play college ball.

“I felt that the Blue Chip Camp was a great experience for any high school player that is looking to play football in college at some level. They were able to meet and have access to 40 coaches from all divisions, as well as be coached by them on seven-on-seven teams. This gave the boys a glimpse into a college coach’s mind as to what they expect of their players, as well as improve on their individual skills,” Blackburn said of the camp. “The most beneficial part of this camp as compared to some other camps is the amount of exposure and contacts that could be made in one location. It was a positive experience for the boys that attended.”

For information on the Blue Chip Football Academy, visit www.bcfa06.com or visit the websites of other respective regional schools who are holding high school camps throughout the summer season.