Football camp brings Super Bowl experience
Elevating one’s game is a process that takes dedication, vision and more importantly, the proper guidance to reach that next level.
With football season rapidly approaching, teams are prepping and training for the new season and Madera and Madera South are no different.
After a prestigious offensive and defensive lineman camp a month earlier, Memorial Stadium is home to a premier skills camp, but this one is much different.
It’s not every day your camp coaches were previous Super Bowl winners. Former Seattle Seahawk tight end Anthony McCoy and San Francisco 49ers cornerback Tim Collier headline a star-studded group of coaches.
They aren’t the only ones. Five more Super Bowl winners including, K.J. Wright, O’Brien Schofield, Mike Morgan, Allen Bradford and Dana McLemore are coaches.
The camp is June 30, from 9 a.m. until early afternoon, with registration and check-in is at 8 a.m. Kids ranging from seven to 17 can participate in the day’s drills. The camp is $25 per player and is open to all positions.
“Me and my father-in-law always had an idea when I was playing in the league of making a foundation to help kids out,” McCoy said. We didn’t know exactly how to get it started, so we were sitting around one day and we just decided to get together and make a foundation for the for kids that can’t go to these football camps, kids that can’t afford cleats or just whatever else tools they need to play football.
“We just noticed in the Central Valley, there is so much talent. Whether it’s Madera, Fresno or further south. We were just like there are too many kids out here that have talent that just aren’t getting anywhere due to monetary reasons or education, they just aren’t getting the grades.”
McCoy stresses in his camp not only about football, but life outside and after the sport. It takes more than just being a good player. Education is a key component in an athlete’s success, McCoy said. He attended one of the top universities in the state — University of Southern California.
“We’ll help with cleats and all that stuff, but you have to hold up to your end of the bargain by getting good grades, making sure you’re showing up early, not missing school and all that stuff. There are requirements for you to qualify,” McCoy said. “It’s just something that really touches us. We wanted to work with kids because we noticed here in the Valley some kids just don’t know.
“Like, what we know now, if we knew then, we would be different players and different men. We just want these kids to know what to be prepared for at next level and in life.”
McCoy’s time in Madera won’t end come July, he’s accepted a spot on Madera Coyote head coach Yosef Fares’ coaching staff for the 2018 season. McCoy’s experience on the field at a Super Bowl level, offers a unique experience for the Coyotes.
A position McCoy feels is a perfect fit.
“It’s an exciting experience for me. I’ve never coached, and I’ve always thought about it and when I mentioned the idea to Yosef, he was all for it,” McCoy said. “He got me in, talked to me and let me know the direction he was going with the team.
“He said they could use me at the offensive line position and I though it was cool because it was something I had a passion in. I thought this was good place to start and Yosef gave me that opportunity to come to Madera and I hope I can contribute to these boys winning a valley championship.”
