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The scorching heat did not prevent some determined athletes from hitting the field at the Future Tiger Football Camp in Edwardsville on Wednesday.
The camp, lead by Edwardsville High School head football coach Matt Martin, was designed to give boys in the seventh, eighth and ninth grade an opportunity to learn the skills required to play different positions in the sport. Leadership was at its strongest during the camp, as the coaching staff at EHS was joined with the Lincoln and Liberty Middle School football staff.
“The biggest goal of today and tomorrow is that these kids have fun,” Martin said. “There is a time for hard work in football, but at this age, you want them to have a positive experience.”
Martin began coaching at EHS in 1999. Four years later, he went off to coach at Granite City High School. He returned in 2008 as an assistant coach. He became head coach of the EHS squad in 2010.
The camp, which began at 10 a.m., began with dynamic stretching. This activity gives the athletes the proper method to stretch as to not injure themselves on the field later in practice. Offensive work was practiced individually as well as together in the group. After the offense got the practice they needed, the defensive work began. Water breaks were taken throughout the day to ensure that the boys were adequately hydrated during the heat of summer.
“Hopefully, by the end of this camp, they can retain some basic fundamentals,” Martin said.
The camp concluded today and was held each day between 10 a.m. and noon.
