Football camp coming to Aroostook County in June

    Local high school football players will focus on character development and specific skill training when the National Football League’s High School Player Development (HSPD) program comes to Aroostook County with an all-position football camp June 10, 11 and 18.
    For the second year in a row, this clinic will be the only such program offered in Maine. All programs are free and football players from all area high schools who are entering grades 9-12 are invited to attend.
    Since its inception in 2001, the NFL’s nationwide HSPD program has provided participants with a curriculum that focuses on inspiring excellence in the classroom, community and on the playing field. The program is free for students and participation in the program is expected to include more than 15,000 high schoolers in 29 states nationwide.
    The character development portion includes skilled speakers, practical life lessons, preparation for standardized tests and discussions on life after high school. This part of the program will be on Friday evening, June 10, from 7-10 p.m. in the Edmunds Conference Center at Northern Maine Community College.
    This year, members of the National Guard also will participate in the HSPD sessions, supporting coaches on site and speaking to young people about personal development and community service.
    Each player receives a practice jersey and an HSPD Student Planner (complete with weekly and monthly calendars, NCAA initial eligibility requirements, SAT information and time management instruction).
    On-field components of the HSPD program include fundamental skill development by position, reviews, and individual competitions. As part of on-field training, players focus on both an offensive and a defensive
position, and eventually apply their newly learned fundamentals to live drills. Participants have access to innovative teaching and drills developed by leading NCAA and NFL coaches.
    This phase of the program will be held at Sincock Field in Caribou on Saturday, June 11, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. for the offensive segment and on Saturday, June 18, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. for the defensive segment.
    For more information, contact Stu Wyckoff, Central Aroostook Huskies, at 764-7651; Brian Reynolds, Southern Aroostook Knights, at 532-8403; or Vince Sirois, Northern Aroostook Mustangs, at 316-7370.