TYLER, Texas — Chapel Hill hosted their annual Youth Football Camp with students ages ranging from four to fifteen years old.
Youth football camps are about inspiring the next generation and setting up their foundation for their football careers. It was a three day event held this week for young players to get first hand experience with the Chapel Hill coaches.
The coaches took them through various position-specific drills then they end off with "Bulldog Football" where they get the chance to play and score some touchdowns.
The coaches had a great time encouraging the young players and giving everyone a chance to shine.
"The kids most enjoy just being around us catching the ball and scoring touchdowns, " Coach McFarlin said. "The more they can do that, the more they have fun."
At this age these young athletes learn to enjoy football and see where the passion comes from.
"We have to be out here, we have to be high energy, and we have to make sure those kids love it and our main goal is for our kids to love football," Coach AJ Johnson said. "We want our kids to go home, loving the game of football, learning football, learning the right way and learning from some of the best coaches in East Texas."
The Chapel Hill varsity football team made it all the way to the State Championship game last season but ultimately fell to Anna, so that makes expectations high this season.
"They've got a great group of seniors who have been to the semifinals twice in the state finals, and they're ready," said Coach McFarlin. "They got a chip on my shoulder to go win and we feel really good about the season."
While it might be many years before the kids at the Chapel Hill youth football camp play under the Friday night lights, the foundation is built with the love of the game.