After his son's first season playing youth football, Justin Counts knew it was something his son, Wiley, was really passionate about. He also knew Wiley wanted to gain more experience and to improve some of his fundamentals before moving up a level - and that's where USA Football's Player Academy came in.
The Player Academies are designed for athletes ages 9-14, with a minimum of one-year of playing experience. The clinics review the fundamentals on offense, defense and special teams, providing each player with the opportunity to work on their skills.
Registration is now open for the 12 that are scheduled for 2009, and the first one kicks off on June 15 at Poinciana (Fla.) High School. The others will also take place throughout the summer months of June and July - just in time for the season to roll around.
"I think the time of year that it was - right before the football season was starting - helped him get back into the football mindset," Counts said. "He was one of the younger guys there, so he had to work hard at it, and he really enjoyed it. A lot of the things he learned there were real applicable to his level and were things he hadn't seen before."
Wiley played running back and defensive end his first season for the Vienna Cardinals in the Fairfax County Youth Football League, but running the ball was his favorite thing about playing the game. The 9-year-old attended the Player Academy held at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Va., last summer and said he was able to see improvement in his performance on the field following the camp.
"The drills were my favorite, especially the running drills," Wiley said. I'm a better running back this year, and I get to run the ball a lot more."
Wiley was able to receive lots of personal instruction at the Player Academy because there are a limited number of participants by position and by age group to maximize the number of repetitions for each station and drill. In addition, the coach-to-player ratio will be no less than one coach per 10 players.
"This was an extension to make sure he's learning the fundamentals," Counts said. "I feel real comfortable that he's doing things right, and hopefully we'll avoid major injuries."
Besides being provided with top-notch coaches and first-class facilities, Player Academy attendees will receive a practice jersey, T-shirt and shorts from Under Armour, the Official Outfitter of USA Football. Players also have the opportunity to earn a free Revolution Youth, Revolution Little Pro or Attack helmet from Riddell, the Official Football Helmet and Protective Equipment Partner of USA Football, through the Refer-a-Friend program. After registering, have a teammate or other camp participant reference your youth player when signing up, and your player will receive the helmet.
"I would recommend this to anybody whose child is real serious about football," Counts said. "It's a lot of work and the kids have to be into it to get a lot out of it, but if you've got a kid who really enjoys football, it's a great opportunity."
