Some of the youngest Browns fans had the unique opportunity to play on the same field as their football heroes Thursday night.
While the National Football League’s future stars were preparing for the 2012 NFL Draft, the Browns were hosting their Future Stars Camp on the field at Cleveland Browns Stadium.
The Cleveland Browns Future Stars Camp, presented by Medical Mutual of Ohio, helped boys and girls, ages 5-7, learn the basics about the game of football. The 2012 Future Stars Camp took place in conjunction with the Browns Draft Party.
“This is the second year we've conducted the Future Stars Camp and the response has certainly been positive both years,” said Matt Yunker, manager of youth football for the Browns. “This camp, like all of our other youth football initiatives, serves a certain purpose. We want to get kids involved with the game of football at a young age and this camp is designed specifically for 5-7 year olds, so we strive to make it fun, but also a learning experience.”
Yunker added, “We had 190 kids take part in this year's camp, which really filled the field. More importantly, everyone in the camp was active in a football-related activity the entire time. When you have a two-hour camp, that's the goal, keep everyone moving.”
During the two-hour session, the children participated in football-related drills on the field at Cleveland Browns Stadium.
“The mission is to get and then, keep kids active with the game of football, but it is also important to teach them the proper techniques and fundamentals of the game,” Yunker said. “When you add in the fact the camp takes place on the Browns home turf, it gives it that once-in-a-lifetime feeling. To see the kids’ faces as they walked down on the field was something special.”
The camp was run by local high school and college coaches who put the participants through 12 football-related drills during the two-hour session.
“We have a great group of coaches from local high schools and colleges that do an outstanding job with these kids,” Yunker said. “You are talking about guys that are used to dealing with 16-21 year-old young men on a daily basis, but when they get out here on the field with these kids, they are complete naturals. We hear from parents all the time how great the coaches are and we take great pride in making sure we have the right individuals instructing these kids.”
Upcoming Youth Football events – sign up today, space is limited!
Cleveland Browns Youth Football Camp – June 18-20
The Cleveland Browns Football Camp will help kids, ages 7-12, sharpen their skills as they work on all the basics, from passing and kicking to blocking and defense. The 2012 camp will take place June 18-20 at Cleveland Browns Stadium and will feature a guest appearance by members of the 2012 Browns Rookie Class. Cost for the Youth Football Camp is $99 and each participant will receive a custom Youth Football Camp jersey.
Cleveland Browns Parents Clinic – June 21
The Cleveland Browns Parents Clinic gives moms and dads the opportunity to receive an in-depth overview about the game of football. In addition to general discussion topics, parents are also able to attend individual breakout sessions, which are designed specifically to cover every aspect of the game, no matter the age of their youth or high school football player. Cost for the Clinic is $20 for individuals and $30 for couples; each participant will receive a custom Parents Clinic shirt and light snack. The 2012 Parents Clinic will take place Thursday, June 21st at Cleveland Browns Stadium.
2012 Parents Clinic Breakout Sessions
• Strength and Conditioning tips – Cleveland Browns Strength and Conditioning staff
• Athletic Training/Injury Prevention tips – Cleveland Browns Athletic Training staff
• Equipment tips and tricks – Cleveland Browns Equipment staff
• Preparing for College Football - Mark McNellie, Head Coach – Lake Erie College (NCAA Division II)
• Preparing for Middle & High School Football – Chris Medaglia, Valley Forge High School Athletic Director
• Preparing for Youth Football – Mac Stephens, North Coast Youth Football League Commissioner
• Life Management and Parental Support
To learn more about the Browns’ Youth Football Initiatives, click here.
