| The 5th Annual Roddy White Keeping the Faith Foundation Camp: Emphasizing Football Fundamentals and Education |
Published:
7/2/2014 8:40:32 PM
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| Roddy White (left) with camp attendees. Photo: Tolbert Smalls, Jr. |
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By Tolbert Smalls, Jr.
NFL Star Roddy White was back home on James Island this past week for the 5th Annual Keeping the Faith Foundation Football Camp. The camp was held at his alma mater James Island Charter High School June 25-27.
More than 100 kids participated in the camp this year where they learned football fundamentals on and off the field as well as the importance of academics to prepare them for the future.
“We just wanted to give the kids some basic training to help them train themselves for the future and playing the game smarter. Right now concussions are an important issue in our game and we want to make sure they understand how to tackle properly and position their bodies better to prevent unnecessary injuries,” White said.
Campers particiapted in drills that emphasized efficient footwork, proper tackling technique, passing, pass - catching, lateral movement, ball handling, maximizing speed and pass coverage, etc. The kids put their new skills to use in organized games towards the end of the day.
The camp also held sessions that were career driven. Several doctors, teachers, lawyers and business owners stopped by the camp to speak with the campers about the importance of gaining an education to fullfill their life-long dreams.
“This isn’t just about football. All of these kids have an opportunity to be somebody and do someting special with their lives, whether that’s being a doctor, lawyer, teacher or whatever they want to be. We want the kids to know that they should always chase their dream and the sky is the limit for anything that they want to do in life,” White said.
Despite the tough year White endured on the field with the Atlanta Falcons as he missed extensive time for the first time in his career due to injury and the loss of his brother Tyrone Moore, Jr. last month, he was all smiles at the camp working the kids with the help of his foundation.
“My foundation and family have always been there supporting me and the camp helps us get throught this tough time. We love to see the kids having fun with smiles on their faces and I’m thankful to have this opportunity to give back when I can,” White said.
One the foundations’ biggest sponsors, The Fan Zone on Tanger Outlet Boulevard, was on hand throughout the camp where several athletes including Michael Vick and Larry Fitzgerald signed autographs and mentored the kids along with White.
“I’m happy to have the support of other NFL players participagting to give the kids an opportunity to hear about some of their experiences that could help them get where they need to go in life. We had another successful camp this year and I will continue to give back to the Lowcountry and do anything I can with what I’ve learned from my career and life experiences.”
For more information about the Roddy White Keeping the Faith Foundation, visit www.rwktf.org
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