Viewfinder: Join Us for a Look at the Bears Youth Football Camp at Geneva Middle School North

Wednesday’s cooler weather made it a perfect day for football as approximately 50 children gathered at Geneva Middle School North for the Chicago Bears Youth Football Camp.

Featuring former Chicago Bears player Macey Brooks, kids ages 6 to 14 enjoyed a day of skills, drills, agility, games and powerful discussion about what it means to be competitive player while maintaining a positive attitude and working hard.

According Camp Director Pat Pistorio, there are five Chicago Bears Football Camps in the area (27 throughout the region), but only one in Geneva. Wednesday’s camp attracted mostly boys, but there was one girl who joined in for a day of learning and fun.

The kids were taught by experienced coaches, were separated throughout the day based on age and ability, and were given plenty of individual attention to ensure that each child had a positive experience and a productive day.

Terna Hamilton of St. Charles stayed to watch her son during the camp which lasted from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Her son, Myles, attended the camp along with a few of his friends.

“This is my son’s first time playing football today, and he is learning a lot,” Hamilton said. “What is so great about this camp is that all ages and skill levels are welcome.”

Myles is 9 years old and said he enjoyed making many new friends and learning how to run and catch the football.

“The Chicago Bears Camp not only focuses on teaching the sport of football,” Hamilton said. “It focuses on the importance of nutrition for athletes, good sportsmanship and team building.”

More than five hours out in the heat can also be dangerous for young players, but Hamilton was reassured because there was a “great ratio of coaches to players and a trainer is available in case anyone needs medical assistance.”

Myles, as well as other campers, was very excited by the camp activities all day and he hopes to continue playing in the future.

Macey Brooks, who recently began working at the Chicago Bears Football Camps and attended as the “football hero” of the day, said that a typical camp day consists of offensive work, a lunch break, defensive work, various drills and stations, age-group specific work, agility and an emphasis on the team aspect of the sport.

“There are different directors for these camps across the region, but all pro-sports experience camps work to facilitate football training for new and experienced players before football season begins in the fall,” Brooks said.

Macey Brooks, who retired from his professional football career in 2002, now works at Elite Sports Performance in Oswego training athletes of all skill levels.

“I work with athletes to develop their strength and increase their potential to succeed in their sports,” Brooks said. “But as I tell the kids at these camps, it’s not all about talent. There are a lot of guys and girls with impressive, raw talent, but without the right amount of effort, there is no way that an athlete can succeed.”

The Chicago Bears Football Camps host children of all ages and skill levels, but the most important thing is that through the camps they learn to work together and become leaders.

Brooks refers to leadership and confidence building as making sure that kids have some “internal swag.”  Because without a little “swagger,” it is difficult for an athlete to be self-assured, reach his potential, and become a winner.

“Kids can be leaders just by the way they carry themselves and through their commitment to showing effort at all times. I want to instill them with the fortitude it takes to be a good athlete,” Brooks said.

Spending his summer and most days out of the year devoted to helping kids improve requires a lot of hard work and a lot of patience. So, what makes it all worth it for Brooks?

“I love to see the kids get better in just one short session,” Brooks said. “I like to see them succeed, gain confidence and make sure they leave with some swag.

“It doesn’t matter where you apply the formula for effort—school, home, work. You will always get better if you show more effort and try to do the best that you can, because in the end, that’s all that really matters,” Brooks said.

For more information about the Chicago Bears Youth Football Camps, please visit: http://www.prosportsexperience.com/bears