Every kid has a dream in life. Some want to be an astronaut or a doctor. Others want to be the president or a professional sports star. In Arkansas though, many young athletes grow up wanting to be something bigger than any of those things. They want to be an Arkansas Razorback. The Razorbacks are the unofficial official professional sports program of the natural state so it stands to reason that the teams of the university’s athletic program are something to dream about. Normally, Tigers aren’t very welcome in Razorback dreams but two Mansfield junior high Tigers recently made an exception to the “No Tigers Allowed” rule.
On Thursday, June 16th a pair of Mansfield Tiger freshmen football players headed up north for the biggest experience of their young lives. Alex Hecox and Zander Walters were treated by Walters’s grandfather, Paul Walters, with an opportunity of a lifetime to practice and learn more about the sport they love at the 2022 Razorbacks football camp in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The boys were definitely minnows in a vast ocean of size, strength, and talent as they worked with top-notch players from not only here in Arkansas but from everywhere in the United States. There were players from Los Angeles, New York, Ohio, Orlando, Atlanta, and other areas of the country. Some who were attending the Razorbacks camp were highly touted three and four-star recruits who made stops at multiple colligate camps before landing in Fayetteville while others were there to try to get noticed by the Razorbacks recruiting staff.
“I couldn’t have ever imagined doing something like this”, said Junior Tigers defensive end, Alex Hecox. “To meet the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks and shake his hand, man, that was awesome. The coaches working with us really seemed to care about us all getting better. We came from all over the map but were worked with like we were all Razorbacks. They taught us a bunch of techniques that will help us improve at our positions. I’m still in shock over the whole experience“. Working with coaches at the next level and practicing around extremely talented athletes from around the country can make you or break you. Fortunately for the Tigers duo, they held their own in drills and showed that although they’re not as old and experienced as the multi-stared athletes, they can put in as much effort as anyone, no matter the stars by their name. Junior High Tigers running back, Zander Walters, said “I want to get better and I honestly think camps like this can help me achieve that. Some of the drills they did I didn’t know, but the coaches didn’t look down on me because of that. They took the time to show me how to do them right. The coaches were amazing, the facilities were amazing, the experience was amazing….it was just amazing in every way.”
For these two youngsters, even being in the presence of Razorback coaches and players was enough to put them on cloud nine, but there are many benefits beyond the spectacles for junior high and high school athletes at camps put on by colleges. Tiger alumni, Brandon Cassidy, attended Arkansas camps in the 90s under former Razorback coaches Danny Ford and Houston Nutt. “The guidance and experience I received at my camps were second to none. I was able to learn from the best which motivated me to compete at higher levels in order to become a better football player at Mansfield. Team building, workout routines, learning unknown techniques, there was no shortage of things to do and learn at camp. Everything at the camps made you a good kind of tired when it was all done”. Mansfield’s own head coach, Tim Cothran, even chimed in on the benefits junior high and high school athletes get at college camps. “Players get to meet and listen to next-level coaches which in itself can be inspiring. These coaches expose athletes to cutting-edge techniques that can help young athletes perform better on the high school field and help prepare them for a possible college career. Camps also allow players to get their names out there if they want to play a sport in college. The college recruiting landscape has changed and these camps are a good way for athletes to sell their brand (name) to colleges who may not know they even exist”.
College athletic camps are not just for the wealthy either. The Arkansas camp that was held on June 16th was $50 and there will be University of Central Arkansas football camps on July 22nd, July 23rd, and July 24th for football players 9th grade and up that also cost $50. With all of the athletic and future benefits that these kinds of camps bring, nothing can be beat than the face of a young athlete who had an awe-inspiring experience and did something that they will never forget. Some players go to these camps because they have the talent for the next level. Some players go because they have a passion and love for the sport. But for most kids, these camps can be a highlight in their life and something they will tell their future kids and grandkids all about.
Attached below is the link to the upcoming University of Central Arkansas camps:
Football Camps | University of Central Arkansas | Conway, AR (ucabearsfootball.com)
