Most football players are "discovered" doing the very thing they do best -- giving the sport their all on the field, each and every time they step out onto it. If you're are on a high school team and playing college football or perhaps even turning pro is your dream, be smart. Get good grades, stay out of trouble, and practice, practice, practice. You never know when a coach or agent from the school of your dreams might be watching from the stands. And yes, they certainly have been known to show up at summer Colorado football camps as well.
Here are some other things you can do to help your chances of being recruited for a great college football team:
1. Keep your skills sharp and improving, all year. This might be a no-brainer, but don't let a whole summer go by without keeping up with your skills. Attending a summer youth football camp is a must, whether you are hoping to someday go pro or just to hold your own on your school team when the fall semester rolls around.
Make sure the camp you attend has the highest possible level of instruction so you can get the most possible from the experience. SportsEddy Colorado Football Camps always have professional athletes, both current and former NFL pros, coaching our students. Learn from the guys who have really made it -- they know the theory, the practice, and the tips you need to up your game to the next level of the sport.
2. Make sure to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center. They can help you find the schools you qualify for on the academic level, and also at the Division I and II level. The best time to register is before starting your junior year of high school. They will steer you straight so you don't waste time applying to schools you are not a good fit for or don't qualify for.
3. Did you know that over one third of college athletes currently are attending school on athletic scholarships, not just in football but many other sports as well? If you think you might be scholarship material, check out an athletic scholarship program such as Recruit-Me.com. They will help you to determine the most effective steps you can take to win an athletic scholarship.
4. Market yourself. Reach out to coaches of college teams you are interested in. Just like trying to land any other gig, tell them about yourself, your stats, your GPA, your ambitions, either via email or old school snail mail. Got any videos of you on the field? Send a link to it.
Alternatively, there are recruiting consulting companies that can help you find schools you might never have heard of; schools that would be a great match for you. They'll help you write those aforementioned intro letters to coaches and won't let you miss a trick!
Best of luck! We look forward to cheering you on from the stands!
Although usually football is played in the fall and winter, when it's fairly cool out, Colorado football camps are an exception. They take place during the height of the summer's heat. And for the kids here in Denver, experiencing some of the hottest days on record, precautions must be taken to assure their safety.
The threat of heat exhaustion, sunburn and dehydration are nothing to be taken lightly.
Tips to Prevent Dehydration:
Regular breaks and vigilant hydration are necessary for active athletes training in the full glare of the hot Colorado sun. Experts recommend that kids drink five to nine ounces of water every half hour or so.
Parents, make sure that the sports camp your kids attend has a good supply of water on hand at all times and that the staff understands the importance of proper hydration. Coaches and camp directors should know the signs of dehydration as well. These include: dizziness or nausea, paleness, excessive sweating and headaches.
Although kids seem impervious to the heat, after a few days with too little water and too much sun, heat exhaustion can occur. If too many of the body's electrolytes are lost via excessive sweating and not replaced with adequate fluids, the results can be dangerous. When dehydration turns into the more serious condition known as heat exhaustion, the above symptoms can be seen along with fainting, muscle cramps, confusion and a rapid heartbeat.
If a child seems to be suffering from dehydration or heat exhaustion, immediately get him or her out of the heat, preferably into an air-conditioned room if one is available.
Ways to Treat Heat Exhaustion:
~ Drink abundant fluids -- nothing with caffeine or alcohol
~ Remove excess clothing, loosen tight clothing
~ Take a cool shower or sponge down with cool water
~ Try any other cooling measures available such as fans or even cold compresses or towels
This is important: if no significant improvement is seen in a half hour, after trying the above treatments, medical attention should be sought immediately.
Heat exhaustion is not as serious as heat stroke, but if left unnoticed and untreated, it can progress to that more dangerous condition. Heat stroke is no joke -- it can actually damage the brain or other organs and in severe cases has been known to be fatal.
At SportsEddy youth football camps, we always have a trained camp director on hand, who knows how to keep your kids safe. When considering a Colorado football camp for your kids, it's better to be safe than sorry. Ask if the staff is trained in proper hydration and whether they know what to do if a child becomes dehydrated or seems ill during camp activities.
By the way parents, don't forget that kids' tender skin needs protection from the sun's UV rays as well. Make sure they are wearing sunblock!
When it comes to Colorado football camps and the summer sun, the best offense is most definitely a good defense. Elements of that defense include education; a caring, attentive and conscientious camp staff and most of all, sufficient water. So drink up!
No, it's not world war three -- it's football. SportsEddy presents the Chad Brown Defense Clinic, where junior and senior high school football players learn everything they need to know about the art of defense -- NFL style -- and take their game to the next level. Chad had fifteen years as an NFL linebacker (as opposed to the usual four or five year career), so you better believe he knows his stuff. Along with playing for various NFL teams including the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, Chad was coached by some pretty amazing legends.
Get the benefit of his wisdom, experience and passion for the game in this action packed three day football camp. Register here.
Check Chad Brown out in this great Colorado Sports Connection video. Chad talks about his long NFL career and his two Super Bowl appearances.
This SportsEddy Denver football camp will teach you everything you ever wanted to know about defensive footwork, strategy and hand placement, using a combination of drills, classroom work, film, field work and hands on instruction.
And that's not all. Along with Chad, Ed McCaffrey and some other special guest athletes, we'll also have the services of Loren Landow, recently named Denver's "top personal trainer" by 5280 Magazine. Calling Loren a "personal trainer" is kind of like calling Luciano Pavoratti a singer. Loren's special talent lies in his ability to analyze and correct biomechanics. We consider ourselves very lucky to have him! Check Loren out here.
Loren will be teaching speed and "explosion" drills, so important to success on the playing field. Did you know that Loren, Director of Sports Performance at Steadman Hawkins Performance, has coached literally hundreds of professional and olympic athletes in all different sports?
Have you ever heard the saying, "the best offense is a good defense?" This little chestnut holds true nowhere more than in the game of football. Get your defenses on high alert -- click here for more information and to register for this not-to-be-missed camp.
The Chad Brown Defense Clinic will take place July 13-15, at Valor Christian High School, Highlands Ranch, CO. Join us for three days of fun, excitement, hard work and great camaraderie. SportsEddy camps have a high ratio of coaches to students, ensuring that each camper gets personal attention to reach his or her goals. Camp founder Ed McCaffrey's got some pretty stellar credentials. Not only did he win three Super Bowls, he's also been successfully coaching football camps for the past eleven years.
By the way, parents, you are always welcome to watch from the stands. And there will probably be time to get an autographed photo or jersey, if you've been hankering for one.
We hope these photos from the 2012 DARE to PLAY Football and DARE to CHEER Camps capture the joy and excitement of this fabulous annual event.
Many thanks to our outstanding guest coaches Brian Dawkins and Jack Del Rio and of course, to Ed McCaffrey for hosting this event for the third year in a row.
Thanks to the coaches and football team of Valor Christian High School, the Denver Broncos Cheerleaders, everyone at Global Down Syndrome for organizing this event, and all the vendors and entertainers who volunteered their time!
Thanks to our wonderful campers -- they gave us the time of our lives!! Thanks to all the parents and well wishers who came out to support these Down syndrome athletes for their big game!
Check us out on Facebook to see the rest of these great photos! And by the way, we'd love to see your photos as well or any feedback on the DARE to PLAY camps. Please post them to SportsEddy on Facebook ...
If you missed this event, it's annual and the public is invited -- so please come on down next year! Follow us on Twitter for up to the moment news.
Most football players are "discovered" doing the very thing they do best -- giving the sport their all on the field, each and every time they step out onto it. If you're are on a high school team and playing college football or perhaps even turning pro is your dream, be smart. Get good grades, stay out of trouble, and practice, practice, practice. You never know when a coach or agent from the school of your dreams might be watching from the stands. And yes, they certainly have been known to show up at summer Colorado football camps as well.
