With temperatures below average and the grass wet, the first day of the Arlington Youth Football Camp took place indoors Monday.
Both AHS gyms were used, accommodating 44 youngsters from grades 2-5.
“I think it's just exposure,” Eagles coach Colter Mattson said when asked what was the most important aspect of camp. “You're the first person to really introduce something for some of these kids.”
The athletes went through drills, broke huddles and did more exercises to close out camp Monday.
“They're not going to remember all of the technique,” Mattson explained. “But it's really to build a relationship with some of these high school kids. It's huge.”
High school Arlington football players helped with the drills, interacting with the kids and getting them to hustle from spot to spot.
“(The kids) can see their faces and really want to be apart of Eagle football,” Mattson said.
While the youth football camp closes out the school year, the coach said its a bit of a kickstart for his program's summer work.
“We've got 7-on-7 right away,” he noted. “So, it's really full-steam ahead right now.”
The 7-on-7 games are first before team camps in July.
The three-day youth football event also starts off AHS' summer slate of youth camps. Next is wrestling Tuesday and Wednesday before the May 30-June 1 softball camp. Volleyball camp is set for June 20–21 before both the boys basketball camp (June 26–27) and the girls hoops camp (June 27–28).
AHS cross-country will host its camp for grades 6–12 on July 17–21, too.
Blair and Fort Calhoun have their own summer youth camp schedules as well. Blair's starts with softball on May 30, while FCHS begins with a girls basketball camp that same day.
