Young Eagles prepare for the future

Photo by Paul Robeson

HITTING THE FOOTBALL DUMMIES: Future Eagles hit the football dummies as Cameron Forman, far left in back, gives the young players advice. The players hit the dummies and try to drive the holder back with their foot work and blocking techniques.

Photo by Paul Robeson

GOING FOR THE PASS: Two future Eagles, one on offense goes for a pass as the other, on defense, tries to break up the play. The young ball players were at the free football camp at West Valley High School put on by the high school coaching staff.

Photo by Paul Robeson

JUMPING JACKS: Young football players begin their evening camp lesson by doing jumping jacks and other exercises. They then broke up into age groups to work on various offense and defense skills with the help of the West Valley High School coaches and football players.

Eagles teach their young how to soar and older Eagle football players helped future Eagles learn the routines of football.

A football camp for future Eagles was held last week at the practice field at West Valley High School. Pop Warner football players in the West Valley area ended a camp last Wednesday with some 90 players practicing in upper 90-degree temperatures.

Head football coach Greg Grandell, his staff and some team members conducted a free, three-day football camp.

The Pop Warner football organization spread the word and Grandell and the staff ordered 50 T-shirts for the youngsters. Black shirts with a golden eagle head and the words “Eagle Football” was on the front of the shirts and “Future Eagle,” in big block letters was on the back.

Grandell said that they had to go back and order more because of the larger than anticipated number of players attending.

The groups were divided into the Pop Warner groups. Junior Peewees are 8, 9 or 10-years-old and are between 60-105 pounds or 11-years-old and between 60-85 pounds. The Peewee players are 9, 10 or 11-years-old and between 75-120 pounds or 12-years-old and between 75-100 pounds. The Junior Midgets are 10, 11 or 12-years-old and between 85-135 pounds or 13-years-old and between 85-115 pounds. The Midgets are 11, 12, 13 or 14-years-old and are between 105-160 pounds or 15-years-old and are between 105-140 pounds.

Warm-up exercises were conducted and then the players divided up according to their class and began offense and defense skills. They took turns holding the football dummies as others pounded the dummies at the given command of the coaches. Hand-offs, passes and defensive skills were practiced as was fast-stepping through the mesh agility ladder. The young Eagles tried to improve foot quickness, agility, coordination and balance. The footwork training helps develop quick change of direction.

Grandell said this was the first of which he hoped would be an annual football camp. He said there had been camps through Parks and Recreation and at Shasta College but there was a fee for the camp.

He and his coaches said they “wanted to give something back to the community that has treated the program so well.”

The staff donated their time to do the camp and, through the football fund, the shirts for the future Eagles were purchased.

“We all wanted this to be a free program,” said Grandell.

“And it will pay off as they get older and want to become a West Valley Eagle,” he continued. “They are getting good ground work.”