Editorial
Front Page - Friday, June 25, 2010
Kids & Pros youth football camp will teach life lessons
David Laprad
Retired Atlanta Falcons linebaker Buddy Curry welcomes a group of young boys to a Kids & Pros youth football training camp. Curry and other ex-football players teach hundreds of youth each year the fundamentals of the sport as well as valuable life lessons.
- David Laprad
Charles Barkley once infamously said he was not a role model. Retired NFL player Buddy Curry not only disagrees with the former NBA star but also strives to be an example of the kind of person he hopes young sports fans will aspire to be.
Through his Kids & Pros training camps, Curry and other ex-football players teach hundreds of youth each year the fundamentals of the sport as well as valuable life lessons. The organization will hold a camp in Chattanooga for the first time this summer.
“Barkley was trying to avoid taking responsibility for who he is,” the former Atlanta Falcons linebacker says. “Whether he wants to be or not, he’s a role model, just like every man who has a family is a role model. We all reflect the people around us.”
Young people who learn the moves Curry and his partners show them will leave the camp with an understanding of both the essentials of seven key positions in the sport and how to play the game safely. Each night of instruction will include warm-ups as well as non-contact training in one offensive and one defensive position. No special equipment will be required.
The coaches will naturally weave the life lessons into their training.
“We try to relate things that happen on a football field to life,” Curry says. “For example, most people want to win every game. They also want their marriage to go smoothly and they don’t want to have any problems at work.
“But the world isn’t like that; there are challenges in everything you do. The difference is in how you react to a difficult situation. Do you tackle it head on or turn and run the other way? We want to teach kids to be smart, to persevere and to think about how their actions will affect others.”
Curry has lined up an exceptional slate of talent for the local camp. At the top of the pile is ex-Falcons running back Gerald Riggs, Sr., a superb rusher and pass receiver who made the Pro Bowl three times in the ‘80s.
Kids will also have the chance to receive pointers from retired NFL linebacker Eric Westmoreland, former Notre Dame High School star Reggie Mathis, past UTC standout Nate Bandy, ex-Detroit Lion and McCallie School luminary Tawambi Settles and more – including all 11 coaches from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s football program. The large number of trainers will ensure each camper receives plenty of one-on-one attention.
Curry says he selected men he believes will not only offer solid instruction but also get the kids excited about learning.
“When these guys get on the field, their energy level goes through the roof, and the kids pick up on that,” he says.
The enthusiasm of the coaches is meant to teach the kids about having the right attitude when they do something, Curry says. “You need to be competent at your job, but you also need to have the right attitude and put as much effort as you can into what you’re doing.”
The combination of football instruction and character building available through Kids & Pros has impressed both parents and peers. Jeff Andrews, president of the Alpharetta Youth Football Association, had kind words to say about the quality of leadership the coaches provided after seeing the program in action. “It was obvious these men ... believe in the football and life principles they taught the kids each day,” the Kids & Pros Web site quotes him as saying.
Curry launched Kids & Pros in 2002 with former Falcons player Bobby Butler in an effort to teach skills and character through athletics. Since year one, the organization has trained over 4,500 kids and grown to the point where its hosting ten camps in five states in 2010.
“We’re developing a model that will allow us to go anywhere in the country to do this,” Curry says.
The decision to bring Kids & Pros to Chattanooga was an easy one, the ex-Falcon says. “I love the people. I have some great friends here who are really passionate about helping this thing take off. And that’s what we need.”
Deciding on the price of the camp was trickier, as Curry wants every kid to be able to attend, but also believes in “hand-ups” rather than “hand-outs.”
“While I wasn’t comfortable charging a price most middle income families couldn’t afford, I also believe in the American Dream, which says you can be anything you want to be as long as you’re willing to work for it,” Curry says.
In the end, Curry decided $150 was the right price for four evenings of football instruction and character building. To register, visit www.kidsandpros.com or call 877-551-CAMP.
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