FORT CAVAZOS, Texas — Footballs snapping, feet pounding, hands clamping around footballs and shouts and laughter are just a few of the sounds that filled the air as children covered the swath of Phantom Warrior Stadium field July 18-19, in a two-day NFL football camp.
The Fort Cavazos Army and Air Force Exchange and Defense Commissary Agency worked with ProCamps, an event management and sports marketing company, to coordinate the camp, hosted by Proctor & Gamble Co. Fort Cavazos won the free camp after producing one of the highest sales of P&G products at the post’s commissaries and exchanges. Youth centers on the installation, III Armored Corps, and Youth Sports and Fitness also assisted with the event.
“A lot of stuff is done behind the scenes,” said Reatha Stockton, AAFES sales and merchandise manager, “but when you get out here to the stage you don’t see any flaws. … It takes a lot of work but we try not to show it.”
With volunteer coaches, children were separated into groups by age and went through various drills of throwing, catching and evading blocks.
Col. Lakicia Stokes, U.S. Army Garrison-Fort Cavazos commander, observed some of the drills and imparted a few words to the children and parents at the camp.
“(The) youth football camp has been made possible by the generous partnership with our local exchange and DeCA partners here and the exchanges and commissaries are vital in creating a sense of community for our military families who often face the challenges of multiple deployments,” she said. “So today’s football camp exemplifies how these agencies, our partners, come together to offer additional benefits to our military families.
“This is a two-day camp, which is aimed to teach our kids here the fundamentals of football and also instilling the values of hard work and dedication,” she continued. “And also what’s even more important is that it provides them with the opportunity to meet new friends.”
After running through drills, the children scrimmaged against one another in their groups.
“It was so fun,” said Leshawn Petite, 6, of the scrimmages, who was the “first pick of the day,” earning himself a T-shirt presented by Stokes.
Mason Mann, 8, favored the interaction he had with his peers.
“The most that I enjoyed was my teammates being positive, and they’re working hard,” he said.
At the conclusion of the first day, some children were recognized for their efforts throughout the camp.
Amy Cantu, an Army spouse, said the football camp was a great opportunity for her son and other children to meet, play and have fun.
“I love it when they get together and they’re just learning different fundamentals, different techniques and to further see if, maybe, football is their thing and they can grow with it,” Cantu said.
Craig James, camp director for ProCamps, said the camps are one of the best things the company does.
“It’s for the kids, and it’s a way for them just to come out and interact with each other,” he said. “They may not play football, but just being able to come out, be physical, be active, meet friends, just have fun. I mean, that’s what we’re all about at ProCamps.”
“This is kind of my summer job, but just being able to have kids understand that if they work hard, if they are the best version of themselves that they possible can be, there’s no reason they can’t be the next athlete or the next person that has a whole lot of success with whatever they do,” he added.
Along with the camp, attendees were also able to meet Daniel Wise, a defensive tackle for the United Football League team the Michigan Panthers and former player with the Washington Commanders.
Being able to meet a professional athlete and get to hear about his experience and advice was a plus for Kendrick Loukoumanou, 14.
“It helps me in the long run and helps younger kids play football,” Kendrick said.
Wise talked about the importance of having football camps for the youth, mentioning the qualities it can instill.
“It reminds you to get active, reminds you to get out there, stay healthy and, most importantly, teamwork, which is what the military is all about,” he said.
Wise is also a military brat. His mother is an Army veteran and even served at Fort Cavazos, then Fort Hood, during her career.
“Being a military kid, it has its up and downs — mainly its ups, I say, because you get to travel,” Wise explained to the children at the camp. “You get to see different places; you get to meet new friends. It taught me a lot about life, taught me about growth at a young age about just never getting complacent, never getting comfortable, just always being able to adjust on the fly. That’s one thing being a military kid taught me.”
He left some words of advice for the youth from his own experience.
“Stay encouraged and continue to have fun through life,” he said. “Continue to lean on the ones around you: your friends and family.”
Editor’s note: Eric Franklin, Fort Cavazos Public Affairs, contributed to this article.
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