Detroit Lions Youth Football Camp Review and Pics – review and pics of Detroit Lions Youth Football 4-day fundamentals camps. The particular camp reviewed is Detroit Lions Youth Football Camp Lake Orion MI.
Detroit Lions Youth Football offers summer football camps, 2-day and 4-day fundamentals camps, specialty position academies, parent/child football camps, and more.
Most camps and programs take place from June through August but are beginning to expand to include seasonal parent/child camps before Lions games during the season.
My son just completed his 5th consecutive summer at a Detroit Lions Youth Football Fundamentals Camp (4-Day) at Lake Orion High School. Spoiler alert – the fact that my son has done 4 of these camps is probably a big indicator that this going to be a glowingly favorable review. For review purposes, I’ll attempt to explain what makes Detroit Lions Youth Football Camps rewarding experiences and what is taught at the camps on a day-to-day basis.
DETROIT LIONS YOUTH FOOTBALL CAMP REVIEW
Lions Youth Football Camps provide high-energy, non-contact football instruction in a fun, yet highly motivating atmosphere. Camps have a 10:1 camper to coach ratio and all coaches have coached in some capacity in the high school or college ranks. The 4-day Youth Fundamentals Programs are open for boys and girls ages 6-14. Camps are split into 4 groups by age. Each camper checks in daily and receives a Lions Camp T-Shirt to wear on Day 1 (most kids wear them the entire week of camp).
The 4-Day Youth Fundamentals Camps run from 8:30a-noon Monday through Thursday. The 4 day-camp week is split into days with a focus on Defensive Skills (Monday & Wednesday), and Offensive Skills (Tuesdays and Thursdays). The 4 groups (by age) are broken off into 4 segments for skill instruction. I.E.: group 1 learns O-line instruction and drills, group 2 learns RB drills, group 3 has WR drills, group 4 learns QB skills (and then they rotate every 15 minutes). Sprinkled in the 4 days are “chalk talk” segments, video analysis of Detroit Lions games, special teams drills, and poignant, motivational talks that preach life lessons on and off the football field. The highlight at the end of each camp day is when the kids and coaches participate in scrimmages with their coaches to showcase the skills they developed all morning in intensive drills.
A typical Detroit Lions Youth Football Fundamentals Camp day breaks out like this:
- Welcome speech
- High-energy warm-ups and stretches
- Groups break into instruction groups for position warm-ups
- Break
- Groups perform Offensive or Defensive skills drills and learn instruction
- Break / Half-time speech
- Chalk Talk or Special Teams
- Scrimmages
- Closing speech / camp breaks for the day
An orginization is only as good as its leader and Detroit Lions Youth Football Director Chris Fritzching is a fantastic leader, organizer, and coach. “Coach Chris” sets the tone for these camps by barking encouragement and supervising drills like a 4-star General. He creates an energy and disciplined structure that is the key to the camp’s success. Coach Chris, and all the other coaches work diligently with all of the kids and even know them all by first name by the end of the first day of camp.
Lions camps all offer a current or former Detroit Lion to participate in the camps to help the kids. Not only do the current/former athletes sign autographs and dole out life lessons, they actually participate in the drills and instruction themselves and have a genuine interest in helping the kids!
DETROIT LIONS YOUTH FOOTBALL CAMP PICS
I feel kids truly love Fundamentals Camps because the camp is treated so seriously by the coaches. The fiery talk and regimented discipline is what the kids expect (or crave) from a football camp and is how they would expect an NFL Training Camp to run.
Player health and safety is a huge focus in Detroit Lions Youth Football camps. Even though the camp is “non-contact” and “no pads”, kids are taught “head up tackling” techniques endorsed by the NFL and created by USA Football. Kids are even properly measured for helmet sizes, shoulder pads and other gear. Since kids wearing pads for the first time often have no idea if their gear fits correctly, having these exact measurements to give to their future football coaches can help ensure kids are properly outfitted to play tackle football.
Detroit Lions Youth Football Camps have something to offer for any boy or girl interested in football. If your child is trying out for a Jr High or High School football team, the skills and drills will be an invaluable asset. If your child is a huge Lions fan, or just interested in football, they’ll truly enjoy learning more about the sport in a safe and educational atmosphere. Parents will appreciate the positive environment and the “life lessons” taught to the kids – see video below for an example from my son’s 1st year of Lions Youth Football camp.
DETROIT LIONS YOUTH FOOTBALL CAMP VIDEO
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Detroit Lions Youth Football is holding more than 30 youth football fundamentals camps and other football academies throughout Michigan this summer. Visit here to learn or more or visit http://www.detroitlions.com/youth-programs/index.html today to sign up!
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