Whatcom County kids hit Sehome High School Saturday for an opportunity to rub elbows with a few Seattle Seahawks and came away with more than just improved football skills.
About 400 kids between the ages of 7-to-18 participated in the Washington Youth Football Camp hosted by Seahawks offensive lineman Justin Britt. Britt was joined by Seahawks running back Thomas Rawls and motivational speaker Spencer Conley.
Britt set-up the camp after Washington-area kids reached out to him on Twitter requesting a camp in their home state. Britt said it was his chance to give back to the fans.
Amid the drills and on-field competitions, campers heard from Britt, Rawls and the other instructors on topics ranging from the perils of bullying, respect for parents and life beyond football.
“I feel like we’ve really changed lives today, that’s the whole point of us doing these camps,” Britt told KPUG. “We’re here to have fun and work hard but they also need to know there’s more to life than football. If you look at the statistics most of the kids that come out here, if not all of them, will be doing something other than football down the road.”
Rawls, still recovering from a broken ankle suffered in December says he jumped onboard with Britt’s camp to offer a different outlook than he had. “I never had no one come back home to Flint, Michigan and do camps for me. I got a chance to do that and that’s my blessing and my purpose to give back these kids.”
No walking boot was visible on Rawls, who was a bit limited in his camp activity. He told KPUG his health was great, but he’s not yet 100 percent. “An ankle problem is not going to stop an impact for the kids, Rawls said. “The kids come first and I just wanted to make sure they had a good smile on their face.”
Injury or not, Rawls did bring some swagger, teaching the kids how to dab, much to the delight the parents watching. Britt said he did not talk about the dance move with Rawls. ‘The dabbing I do not support,” he said. “It’s just not something I’ve ever done or will take part of.”
The camp continues Sunday and Monday with stops in Sunnyside and the Tri-Cities on Sunday and Monday respectively.
(Doug Lange – KPUG)
