A group of local kids learned some key football fundamentals last week as the Airport Eagles team hosted its annual free football clinic. 

Anyone aged 5-12 could participate and go through a series of drills designed to work on the foundational skills of the game. 

“I want them, football-wise, to learn the fundamentals,” Airport head coach Chris Napier said. “But really, I just want them to learn how to have fun, compete and get along together.”

Napier is about to begin his first season as Airport’s coach. He decided to continue hosting the annual camp to connect his team with their community. 

 ”Any chance we can get to connect with our community and see the young Eagles come up, we want to do that,” Napier said. “Here at Airport, we try to keep the main thing, the main thing, which is pouring into these kids, and this is a great venue to do it at.”

The kids were split into groups and rotated through stations that highlighted different positions on the field. Some of the stops included a running back station, which had kids doing agility drills; a defensive line station, which had campers shed a blocker then make a tackle; and a receiver station, which had campers running routes and catching balls. 

Each drill was run by a collection of Airport players and assistant coaches. Napier felt it was especially important that the players were out there, so the kids had someone to look up to. 

“I told them it was important that they could be role models because when they were younger, they saw the same things,” Napier said. “We have the majority of our players out here today, so they just wanted to be able to give back.”

The players took their responsibilities seriously. They understood the importance of the event and the impact they could have on the next generation. 

“We can just help the kids, the young kids, and help them learn stuff that we know,” defensive end Clifford Nelson said. “We can teach them to be better players and better people.” 

Before each drill began, a player would demonstrate the proper technique, and as the kids went through, they would offer advice and pointers for next time. 

“I want to coach, so being around the kids and helping them out, it means the world,” quarterback Talon Harlin said. “We were doing this not that long ago. So, it's just nice to give some help back.”

Harlin said the camp is a highlight of the team’s summer. It lets the team meet its youngest supporters before the start of the new season, and hopefully inspires the next generation of Eagles. 

While there are still a few years before any of these kids have a chance to play high school football, it is beneficial to do events like this and set a solid football foundation early.

 ”Starting off at a young age is a lot better. It helps your development a lot,” wide receiver Richard Harley said. 

Nelson, Harlin and Harley were engaged with the campers throughout the event. They imparted their wisdom and provided pointers when necessary. Each had their own advice to offer. 

“Always be yourself, no matter what,” Nelson said. 

Harlin’s advice was about keeping your mental strong and focusing on the task at hand. 

“Stay out of your head,” he said. 

Harley wanted to make sure the campers knew to keep pushing no matter what.

“Don’t stop,” he said. “If you face adversity, don’t stop.”