The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Youth football camp gives team experience to kids
Children ran through green grass during a beautiful spring day on April 10 in a yard next to George Daniel Field in Lorain.
As the sweat dripped down their foreheads The Dream Youth Football Camp coach Andre Johnson cheered them on and encouraged them from the sidelines.
“We’re out here today to enhance the flag football skills, speed and agility,” he said.
Typically, each camp has about 70 to 100 children participating in a football training camp. The children come from all areas of Lorain County and spend time learning from football coaches from various schools.
According to Renus Henry, president and CEO of Keep Right, a branch underneath The Dream Youth Football Camp, it’s important to give children a chance to participate in activities that stimulate their minds and bodies.
“We really focus on lower middle class families who do not seem to have the opportunities or skills to be able to join other leagues,” he said.
Henry grew up in a lower class single parent household. As he grew older and graduated from college with a degree in social work, he moved forward on his passion for mentoring children.
“We want to promote a positive lifestyle and engage these kids in something that can help their futures,” he said.
The league includes several teams and anywhere from 700 to 900 children who compete in a season.
Johnson said part of the reason so many children in the area are able to participate is because the cost is kept as low as possible. For $65 children receive a uniform, gloves and soft shell helmet for the season.
Henry said he felt it was important to introduce the athletes to other cities across the state.
“It could encourage them to go to college or just inspire them,” he said. “The community molded me in what I am today. Communities give to kids and the kids give back.”