I am very surprised that in this day of advanced and specialized training programs and facilities there are very few full contact football camps for the competitive high school athlete.

Our coach sent out a lengthy list of the camps around the region and while there were more than thirty one day camps listed they all appeared to be more or less the same old format of basic instruction and little else.

 

There were only one or two multiday camps listed.

Has anyone found good camps for the motivated high school player?

 

We went the O-D camp route for a while and there may be a few locations that are better than others this once good program has become nothing more than a marketing machine to the pee-wee players.

I am very surprised that in this day of advanced and specialized training programs and facilities there are very few full contact football camps for the competitive high school athlete.

Our coach sent out a lengthy list of the camps around the region and while there were more than thirty one day camps listed they all appeared to be more or less the same old format of basic instruction and little else.

 

There were only one or two multiday camps listed.

Has anyone found good camps for the motivated high school player?

 

We went the O-D camp route for a while and there may be a few locations that are better than others this once good program has become nothing more than a marketing machine to the pee-wee players.

 

My guess is that many kids or star players for these high school teams were getting hurt at these camps and coming home injured and unable to play their upcoming season.

 

That's my understanding.

Hawg Heaven Football Camp at Campbellsville Ky. Run by Joe Prince is one of the best around.

Rambo I would think you are correct but I would also hope that there still was a place for a high intensity camp even if it's light contact.

Can't seem to find those either?

Rambo I would think you are correct but I would also hope that there still was a place for a high intensity camp even if it's light contact.

Can't seem to find those either?

 

Hawg Heaven might be your answer.

I have been to Hawg Heaven even though it was many years ago, i can say it is a tough camp! There is also down and dirty linemen camp which is/was at KCU. Both camps are very good if your older and can be tested mentally, and need coached up on the finer parts of being a linemen Hawg Heaven would be best. If you are a little younger and need to learn more technique but yet want to compete, down and dirty would be a better place. EKU also used to have a 2 night linemen camp that was full contact, I always had fun there and did quite well in the competitions.

Edited May 24, 201115 yr by sackmaster
spelling

I have been to Hawg Heaven even though it was many years ago, i can say it is a tough camp! There is also down and dirty linemen camp which is/was at KCU. Both camps are very good if your older and can be tested mentally, and need coached up on the finer parts of being a linemen Hawg Heaven would be best. If you are a little younger and need to learn more technique but yet want to compete, down and dirty would be a better place. EKU also used to have a 2 night linemen camp that was full contact, I always had fun there and did quite well in the competitions.

 

It is still a Tought Camp, they also added Skilled Positions, Very good also. They go Helements and S. Pads.

Thanks for the suggestions. I should have mentioned that in my case I have a sophomore athlete. A number of the camps talked about are for jr/sr only or team camps only.

 

Great info please keep them coming!

Thanks for the suggestions. I should have mentioned that in my case I have a sophomore athlete. A number of the camps talked about are for jr/sr only or team camps only.

 

Great info please keep them coming!

 

Joe Prince is a class Act, he runs a tight camp, your Soph. would gain a lot from his camp and have a great time.

Someone mentioned Down and Dirty Lineman Camp, it has moved to EKU this coming season. Good camp for OL/DL. Hawg Heaven is a quality camp. As you said, my son attended OD for several years, it's a good camp, but you have to overlook all the marketing for their sponsors.

 

The one day camps have become the norm, not really to get better but to be seen. If your player is looking to play college football, the one day camps will get him exposure and attention from the college coaches. That is why the colleges offer them. One day is enough for them to evaluate the players. They normally don't charge much, they have to charge a small amount because of NCAA/NAIA regulations. But, it is just for them to evaluate the players.

University of Louisville has camps, go to their site, we are going to the kickers camp in mid June, and had a son go to the lineman's camp.

There were only one or two multiday camps listed.

Has anyone found good camps for the motivated high school player?

 

Oops-this one is on me. To understand what went into the list I sent out to our HS coaches in the state, you've got to understand the motive and realize the list was assembled to assist kids wanting to get EVALUATED for RECRUITING...not looking for 'INSTRUCTION' (nothing against those camps; and for kids EARLY in their development--like HS kids who haven't played before, middle schoolers, or youth leaguers--I think these camps are valuable).

 

However, for a kid who's a junior or senior to be and wants to play college football, the key to getting recruited is to GET SEEN by the actual college coaches. Here's why: HS coaches can promote their best players all they want; unless they're in Florida or Texas, the college coach he's talking to ASSUMES the kid's coach is exaggerating how fast, big, good, etc. the kid is.

 

Further, the kid that wants to get recruited CAN'T count on a college coach coming to see him play (too many good players to see; not enough coaches on the road able to travel long distances on a night before a game of their own). So, the kid has to go to THEM.

 

Unfortunately, just like fishing, it's not usually best to cast your line out ONCE and in the same spot and just hope the fish come to you. 99% of HS kids' families can't blow $250-$350 on even ONE 'instructional, padded, 3-day' camp (add in gas at nearly $4.00 a gallon and it gets REALLY prohibitive to go to these).

 

The key is to GET SEEN...and add to that, they need to get seen by AS MANY AS POSSIBLE (EKU might need a Def. End this year or they might not; if not, that good DE from Berea had BETTER get to more than just the EKU multi-day camp!)...and add to that FOR THE LEAST AMOUNT OF $$ POSSIBLE. To make it even tougher on families and kids, there is pretty much only ONE MONTH (June) when all these camps occur. Therefore, going to MANY one-day "combine-type" camps -- or, best yet, picking and choosing the one-day camps that have MULTIPLE colleges there at the same time -- for only $25-$50 each is much preferable to putting all your eggs in one basket at "BCS-U's" $350 Linemen camp.

 

The reason there were only two 'multi-day camps' listed is that those are the two I knew of that are KNOWN for having multiple college coaches coaching daily at the camp (Bishop-Dullaghan Skills Camp and Down-and-Dirty). As has been mentioned, the Hawg Heaven camp is also a great multi-day camp (and is run by maybe the best out there in Joe Prince) as are the Darrin Slack QB Academies, but they seem to be more of what you are looking for -- INSTRUCTION instead of EVALUATION.

 

IF YOU WANT INFO ON GOOD "INSTRUCTIONAL CAMPS" -- We coaches get pounds and pounds of mailings from every college around promoting their various camps (let's be honest, considering the number of kids they want to come to the camp and how much they charge, they are primarily MONEY-MAKERS for them, so they market them VERY well). My suggestion: do NOT use the camp/combine list you've got; go to the HS head coach in your area and ask him to let you see his file of camp brochures he's been sent. OR, pick out a college with a coaching staff you think is doing a good job and google the name of the school and 'football camp.' You'll get LOTS of info on multi-day instructional camps either way.

Coach J,

Great info and much appreciated.

 

Sincerely,

Mustang Nation- 3yr Football Letterman BHS class of 1979.

Since you're a BHS-alum, I'd be glad to help you with some instructional camp info -- come on by; I'm at the school (weight room or small gym) training our guys pretty much every weekday after school til 5:00 or 5:30.