Football program builds positive foundations

Photos by David Hardt

LINE COACH ARNOLDO AROSTEGUI SHOWING CAMPER PROPER POSITION.

For the sixth consecutive year, Fife football head coach Kent Nevin, coupled with his faithful assistant coaches and players, hosted Fife’s youth junior football camp on June 16-19. The three day comprehensive, non-contact football camp focused on basic fundamentals such as throwing, catching, defending, form blocking, exploding out of a stance with proper technique and ending each day with individual competition and scrimmages. The camp more importantly emphasized the core covenants of the Fife High School football program: always team first, belief in self and teammates, no superstars – only teammates, every teammate is important and Fife community pride.

Ten-year-old Alex Murphy stood in line patiently awaiting his turn for the drill. Alex, while firmly gripping a football, listened to every instruction from line coach Arnoldo Arostegui regarding the “fumble strip” drill. The camper behind Alex joked nervously, but Alex does not break a smile; this was serious business. The drill starts and Alex holds onto the ball tightly while running. Within seconds the other camper wraps his arms around Alex, trying to cause the fumble. Alex clutches the ball harder and pushes his cleats into the ground, but after a short moment of putting up a diligent fight, the ball pops loose. Both campers hit the ground and position themselves to recover the ball.  After the action Alex cracked a small smile, as he ran back to get in line to try the drill again.

“So far I have been learning basically the main steps on how to play football. The hardest thing so far has been learning how to cause a fumble and not to fumble,” Alex said while taking a breather. “I am also learning how to be a wide receiver. The player that I look up to the most in the NFL is wide receiver Donald Driver of the Green Bay Packers.”

“This is the sixth year hosting the youth junior football camp. We do this really to reach out to our  community. We want to show others what Fife football is all about and teach the kids the fundamentals of this great game such as discipline, work ethic and commitment. It doesn’t matter where these kids play, we just want to teach them football, and that team is always first,” Kent said. “A lot of our [high school] starters have come up through these camps; it was good for them to see how we coached. For the Fife players here today, this is their turn to be a coach, as well as a role model to these kids.”

Senior linebacker Tyler Tecca, now acting as a coach instead of player, took in the experience.

“I really like coming out here and working with the kids, it is a great experience for them as well as for us players. With the new junior program coming up, all this will help our high school in the coming years.”

Commenting rules