News like this really helps fans of UM football breathe a sigh of relief regarding The State Of Miami, as Howard Schnellenberger used to call it. Yes, the dark cloud of the NCAA investigation still hovers, but head coach Al Golden continues to shine bright and his summer-session football camps for soon-to-be college football players roll on.
Golden’s first camp of the season took place Sunday June 2nd on UM’s intramural fields and there were over 330 kids in attendance. There will be four more one-day sessions this season – Saturday June 8th, Sunday June 9th, Saturday June 22nd and Sunday June 23rd. For more information on attending the camp, or registering online, please visit www.AlGolden.com.
Golden started his camps when he was the head coach at Temple University years back and not only brought the tradition south, but has grown it into something even bigger than imagined, entering year three.
A big reason for the large turnout is Golden’s desire to create something open to kids of all walks of life. The price of the camp is a mere $59 per session and the sessions are one day apiece, eliminating the overnights and other aspects of coaching camps that add up.
This isn’t about profit for Golden or his assistants, it’s about making in-roads with local kids, coaching them up and working to make an impact. The camp is open from grades sixth through twelfth and players are encouraged to attend as many sessions as they chose – with price breaks for multiples (re: two camps for $89).
The itinerary is pretty basic. Campers show up at 8am for Registration and Speed School. At 9:10am the first Camp Meeting. At 9:30am, Offensive Drills. At 10:40am, Defensive Drills.
Everyone breaks for lunch at 11:30am and at 1:00pm, it’s back to Offensive Skill Work. At 1:50pm, Defensive Skill Work. At 2:30pm, it’s 1-On-1’s and things commence at 3:00pm for Closing Remarks.
For parents of junior high and high school athletes who dream of playing college football, at Miami, or anywhere else, these camps are a must. The amount of knowledge passed down from this staff to these kids during these sessions is invaluable. Especially at this cost.
And for those who someday dream of playing for The U and running out of the smoke, this could be your first step in The Process.
Keep it up, Coach.