Steelers Nation gained some fresh talent recently when the team hosted its annual youth football camp at Saint Vincent College in Unity.
Open to kids ages 6-14, the camp on June 17-18 attracted boys and girls from 13 different states.
There were 200 youths on hand this year to participate in non-contact activities including individual workouts, group drills and flag football games.
“This is a great opportunity for them to really learn the game of football,” said Joe Lofton, the team’s football and fan development manager. “Hopefully, these kids are all future Steelers fans.”
Over about a dozen years, young campers from as far away as Anchorage, Alaska, and Honolulu have signed up for the program.
There was no rain to dampen the spirits of this year’s campers, who powered through scorching temperatures of up to 93 degrees — with proper hydration.
“We made sure to have plenty of water and Gatorade for the kids,” said Lofton.
Among the camp’s coaches were former Steelers players Charlie Batch, Derek Moye, Craig Wolfley, Terence Garvin, David Arnold and Tyson Alualu. The event also was staffed by coaches from several WPIAL high schools and local colleges, including Saint Vincent, Duquesne and Washington and Jefferson.
It was the second in a series of four such camps offered by the Steelers and sponsored by Giant Eagle and Gatorade this summer in Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
“The biggest thing we try to teach is not just learning about the X’s and O’s of football,” said Lofton. “We really focus on character development.
”Our coaches always talk to the kids about being grateful, working hard and having respect. You hear kids talking about it on their ways to the cars with their parents at the end of the day.”
Each camper received an event T-shirt, lunch and two tickets to a Steelers preseason game.
Steelers fans of all ages will flock to the Saint Vincent campus beginning at 10:30 a.m. July 25, when the Steelers open selected summer training camp practices to the public. Fans will have the opportunity to view more than a dozen additional practices there through Aug. 14.
The annual “Friday Night Lights” practice is scheduled for 7 p.m. Aug. 2 at Latrobe’s Memorial Stadium.
