For the third year in a row the University of Calgary is coming to Central Alberta to teach some young football players and maybe recruit a couple of players to suit up for the Dinos in the future.
The annual football camp kicks-off Friday at ME Global Athletic Park in Lacombe under the watchful eye of Dinos’ head coach Blake Nill.
“It’s an outstanding camp and it’s grown very well we’re really looking forward to being there again this year,” he said.
Nill says football in this province is growing by leaps and bounds in all regions so it’s no surprise this particular camp just keeps getting better.
The U of C brain-trust has made a concerted effort to attract the cream of the crop from Central Alberta to come play for the Dinos and last year they managed to get Tyler Ledwos from Sylvan Lake to make the choice, said Nill.
“We want to keep that going,” he said, adding there are a couple of players in the area who have attended past camps which have caught the eye of the Dinos staff. “We just want to continue to use our camp to identify potential athletes, help develop potential athletes and help grow the sport of football.”
Nill says this type of camp is a win/win situation for the university and the football programs in the region because peewee and bantam age players will get some first rate instruction from the Dinos’ coaches and players.
“The young kids just get motivated working with our top athletes,” said Nill.
Some of the talent at previous camps included Kirby Fabian who had a tryout with the NFL’s New York Giants and was a first round pick of the B.C. Lions, Linden Gaydosh who has signed with the Carolina Panthers and Steven Lumbala who was a first round pick by Montreal this year.
“So you can see when kids are exposed to athletes like this they just get excited, they see what football can do for them.”
Apart from the onfield nuts and bolts these players will gain access to, Nill said he hopes they also expand the notion of what football really is.
“Football isn’t just about going on a field and being physical. It’s about the specific skill sets that each position requires, the ability to work in unison as a group of players to achieve a common goal and then more importantly to get them to understand the sacrifices and the discipline required if you’re going to reach your potential as an individual.”
sports@reddeerexpress.com