I’ve been on the “other side” (of Camping) the past 2 weeks! By that, I mean: I was the Camp Director. Instead of “receiving” the instruction from a visiting coach… I was the instructor! I conducted a team Wing T Camp for a school in Virginia Beach last week and led one in Chesapeake, Va. (my home city— next door to Va. Beach) this week. In fact, we ended up today.
Some things I can tell you about summer camps now that I’ve conducted a couple:
1) Get a coach who knows HOW to coach. If you’re a Wing T team, make sure that the coach you bring in has a vast knowledge of this offense but… is also able to teach it. Teach it to both your staff and your players!
2) I’d find a high school coach who meets the criteria in point #1 above. Yes, college coaches are further up the food chain. But, that’s why I’d want a high school coach as opposed to someone who coaches at the college level. If you don’t know it, there is a vast difference between the things that colleges are able to do as opposed to high schools. A Camp (to me) should be about fundamentals and basics.
3) Ask the visiting instructor to set up his Camp practice schedule the same way he conducts his team’s practice schedule during the season. There are drills and skills that you can learn from someone else’s practice schedule that can be very helpful. For instance (and this is for my Wing T friends out there), how I run our “Shoulder Skills” period is a bit unique. It teaches a lot of Wing T blocking skills that you can’t get from any other drill. One thing we do is put the big “Bertha” bags on the sideline. The players MUST keep the bag on the painted line as he drives it for 5 yards to the next line. It teaches getting that great inside/out angle while “controlling” that bag for 5 yards. IF the player does not keep it on the (side)line, he has to go again. Both schools that I “camped” at these 2 weeks really liked this drill.
4) Finally, you must be willing to pay the coach/es who come in to lead your camp. He’s performing an important service to your program and should be compensated for his time and effort.
Summer team camps are great! I also think you don’t have to travel. Invite a coach to come to your school. Provide a lunch so your staff can talk some football when the day’s work is over. It’s a BIG plus for your coaches and your players!!!
