The Rochelle Township High School youth football camp draws nearly 100 players from around the area each summer. Monday marked the start of this year’s camp, with the next generation of RTHS players taking the field in front of RTHS coaches, current players, youth coaches and more.
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ROCHELLE — The Rochelle Township High School youth football camp draws nearly 100 players from around the area each summer. Monday marked the start of this year’s camp, with the next generation of RTHS players taking the field in front of RTHS coaches, current players, youth coaches and more.
“It’s a huge responsibility that our staff and our kids take,” RTHS head coach Kyle Kissack said. “We see the camp as a great opportunity to connect with the younger kids so they can get a feel for our football program. It’s also an opportunity for the younger kids to connect with our high school kids. They look up to the high-schoolers and ultimately, they’ll be high school players one day.”
The four-day camp runs from 6 to 7:30 p.m. for players ranging from third-graders through eighth-graders. While some players will be participating in the Rochelle Junior Tackle program this season, others are learning the game for the first time.
The camp aims to introduce the fundamentals used to play Rochelle football, which include alignment, stance, responsibility, technique, terminology and more. Campers work underneath both coaches and current RTHS players, who use their playing experience to show campers how to play their respective positions.
“We want the younger kids to get familiar with the skills they need to succeed at the flag football level,” Kissack said. “We try and teach fundamentals like catching and throwing the football… We still build upon our foundational skills with the advanced players, and we work on very fine details like eye placement… It’s an excellent opportunity for our high school kids to teach the younger kids the positions they play on Friday nights.”
Camp will conclude on Thursday, with Rochelle Junior Tackle practices scheduled to begin this coming week. For Kissack and his staff, the summer camp is not only about preparing future athletes for success, but building a culture and promoting the sport in the city itself.
“We look forward to this camp every summer,” Kissack said. “We’d love to have more kids as well. The kids get an opportunity to be introduced to our high school program and work alongside our high school players… The camp allows the Junior Tackle players to get into football mode before they roll into their season.”
