"Football For You" Youth Clinic Registration Form (.pdf)Foxboro, Mass. - June 17, 2010 - The New England Patriots Alumni Club (NEPAC) is bringing its “Football For You” youth clinic to Springfield, Mass., in hopes of reaching a new audience of aspiring young athletes. On Friday, June 25, a cadre of former pros will deliver their one-day traveling camp to Springfield College, where they’ll spend the afternoon sharing their experiences as professional athletes and educating boys and girls aged 11-14 in the basics of football.
“Football For You” is free to participants and is made possible by a partnership between NEPAC, the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation and the Springfield Public Schools with support from sponsors The Hanover Insurance Group and Papa Gino’s.
“We’ve been doing this camp for five years now, and it’s really important to our organization that it continues to reach new communities. We couldn’t be more excited about coming to Springfield this summer,” said NEPAC President and former Patriots center Pete Brock. “The former pros are dedicated to giving back to the communities that inspired them throughout their playing careers. We hope the goodwill impact in Springfield will be as big there as it has been in Boston and Worcester.”
Patriots alumni who will be in attendance will represent 50 years of Patriots football and include Brock, safety Roland James, running back Larry Garron, guard Lennie St. Jean and linebacker Vernon Crawford.
Hundreds of kids are expected to turn out to learn a myriad of football fundamentals including passing, catching and kicking. The camp is non-contact and every child in attendance will have the opportunity to try all of the skills being taught. Running from 12:30 to 5:00 p.m., the Springfield edition of “Football For You” will also give local kids the chance to take part in an official NFL Punt, Pass and Kick competition, with winners advancing to the sectional round of competition. “Football For You” always includes inspirational speeches and an autograph session by the former pros, and every child in attendance will go home with a free T-shirt commemorating the camp. At the end of the day, campers and their families will be treated to a camp favorite, Papa Gino’s pizza.
To reserve your spot to attend the Football for You clinic contact the Springfield Public Schools at 413-787-7126.
Michael C. “Mike” DeLong ’74 enters his 32nd season as a head football coach in the fall of 2013. He enters his 30th year at Springfield College alone. For the past 28 years, he has been the head coach at Springfield, his alma mater. Mike had also been the head coach at Maine Maritime in Castine, Maine in 1979 and 1980. Read more.
