More than 150 kids from across the Triad will get to learn the ins and outs of football from some of the game's best players this week at the Boys Are Back football and education camp.
WINSTON-SALEM -- More than 150 kids from across the Triad will get to learn the ins and outs of football from some of the game's best players. NFL players from the Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans and the New England Patriots will lead a two-day sports and education clinic.
Football season hasn’t started yet, but C.J. Smith wanted to brush up on the fundamentals and become a better wide receiver. He said he's excited to have professional coaches help him do that.
"I love it! It's like inspiration for me, especially our coach. I really want to follow in his steps,“ Smith said.
Those footsteps include former Cincinnati Bengal and Winston-Salem native A.J. Nicholson.
"I've played many games here on this very field. For me, it's coming back and it's giving back to the community is big for me,” Nicholson said.
Organizers said the camp is not just about teaching the technical football skills, but they'll also be teaching some other very important lessons.
"Football, that gets us in the door, that gets their attention, but we have a lot of life skills set up because nowadays our kids are dealing with a lot of things. They're dealing with anything from drugs to gangs to violence to behavior problems. We're going to address all those issues,” Germane Crowell, a retired Detroit Lions player, said.
Those are issues that even the campers know are important to talk about.
“Well if you get into drugs, you'll get addicted and you spend more time doing them than working on your dreams,” camper Devin Taylor said.
But beyond the lessons, players at the Boys Are Back Camp said this is a chance for them to give back.
“Boys grow up, they leave away, and they are successful as men, but they never come back, so this is a vehicle for them to come back as professional people and professional athletes,” founder and camp director Marcus Stevenson said.
“We want to help them be better individuals, better in their schools, better for their communities and better for the environment their in," Crowell said.
He added that if a little star power makes it happen, that's not a bad thing.
More than 150 kids ranging in age from eight to 17 will take part in the camp. This is the sixth year for the free two-day education and sports clinic.