Wainwright Alberta will host an Ironwill Football Camp on May 12th- 13th.

“What we like to do at performance camps is really work on the fundamentals of each position. Positional skills – we like to give a different outlook at every position,” said Tim Burris, camp director and former Vanier Cup champion. “A lot of coaches when it comes to the season don’t have a lot of time to really explain the purpose of each position because there are a lot of time restraints.”

For those who are eight to 18-years-old, Burris said attending the camp will help an athlete to get ahead with their own game. “We try and set the athlete up for what they’re going to be expecting when they go to the next level.” And that next level means specific training. “We do a lot of testing that the kids probably don’t know.”

So how do they specify things for the different age groups? “It works out pretty well, obviously for contact drills they’re all grouped within the same age groups.”

Burris said that even though the ages range as low as eight-years-old, there is no problem with focus. “A lot of athletes that do come are looking to get better, so when it comes to keeping attention it’s really not an issue. It’s a very fast paced program and there’s not a lot of standing around.”

So Ironwill is like any elite sport camp whether it be hockey, soccer, baseball, etc., they have a hook. And when it comes to tutors, Ironwill Football Camps don’t mess around. “All of our coaches are either in university or have played university or played in the CFL,” said Burris. “We don’t just pick up any coaches.”

And what do you get when you’re done with the camp? “At the end of the day, football is not all about the physical contact. If you can match the skill part of the game and understand your roles and responsibilities you have an edge against your opponent especially at the high school, bantam level, peewee level.”

Burris is confident the skills learned at the Ironwill Football Camps will transfer to success on the field. “In the CFL everyone is big, strong, fast — at the end of the day, you know what they’re working on? They’re working on the fundamentals of the game. And that’s what’s really going take them to the next level.”

If you want to sign up for an Ironwill Camp then go to their web site at ironwillfootball.ca.

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