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(ALEX HAVARDANSKY | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Steers football campers work on cutting upfield as a runningback Wednesday, July 30. Steers head coach Clay McChristian said that the older kids session focused on specific assigned positions based on player strengths. -
(ALEX HAVARDANSKY | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Steers football campers practice blocking on the offensive line Wednesday, July 30. The camp ran from Monday, July 28, to Wednesday, July 30. -
(ALEX HAVARDANSKY | THE GRAHAM LEADER) The older session of Steers football camp participated in the best hands drill Wednesday, July 30. McChristian described this camp as a fun way to compete without regular season pressures.
It’s been another busy summer of athletic camps for athletes in the community. After months of activity across all sports, Graham ends its summer season with one of its biggest activities–football camp.
The camp took place Monday through Wednesday, July 28-30, and saw participants ranging from grades three through nine participate.
Overall, the camp had a large turnout which saw days where participants got to as high as 130, which is something that pleased Steers football head coach Clay McChristian.
“It’s been great. We’re at about 130-135 kids which is a really good turnout here,” McChristian said. “About 60-65 for the younger kids (third through sixth grade) and probably about 70-75 in the older group (seventh through ninth grade.) So a really good turnout.”
Both camps were hands-on with learning the fundamentals and key positions of the sport, however the younger kids had more range in terms of what positions they got a feel for, according to McChristian.
The head coach said that the players in the younger grades got to see what it was like to play all the major positions in the game while players in the older camp got assigned and learned specific positions based on their strengths.
Graham’s youth also got to test their skills against fellow campers during different skills competitions throughout the camp.
Some of these were the best hands competition, running and passing competitions, and a positional competition that McChristian called “the dragon drill.”
“Basically it’s a one on one (drill) at different spots, running back versus linebacker, receiver versus safety and quarterback versus receiver,” he said.
As has been the case with all the coaches this season, McChristian finds camps like these to be a refreshing way to introduce and transition the youth of Graham back into the sport and see them hone their skills without the pressures of the regular season.
“It’s fun, it’s refreshing,” McChristian said. “You get out here and you see all the competition. These guys are having a great time out here. Just the pure love of just getting out here and competing and not having to worry about a game this week, it's just pure fun.”
With the conclusion of football camp, McChristian and the Steers turn to official two-a-day practices starting Monday, Aug. 4.
