Jonathan Casillas is no stranger when it comes to community work. This summer he will host a free life and football skills camp to local students in his hometown of New Brunswick, New Jersey.
The camp will take place on Saturday, June 21, 2014 from 8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. and is open to the first 200 participants on a first-come, first-serve basis. Casillas plans on teaching the kids how football and life skills are connected to one another.
“It’s tough in my neighborhood that I come from because a lot of kids basically are in school because they play sports,” says the Buccaneers linebacker, “they kind of give up on school, but because they play sports that’s why they’re there. The streets are dominating some of these impoverished neighborhoods. If these kids want to play football then that’s going to be our avenue to get through to these kids,” he continued.
“I also stress the importance of education and the opportunities there, but that hard work carries over not only on the football field but in the classroom as well.”
The camp will include six breakout motivational sessions with current and former NFL players and coaches on subjects such as; nutrition, social media awareness, positive decision making, safety, recruiting process and more.
All camp participants will receive a t-shirt, athletic shorts, a pair of cleats and a life skills backpack. The kids will even get a chance to play and speak with some of Casillas’ former and current teammates.
“We’re not only going to give them skill training for football and different skills like athletic ability, but also we’re giving them life skills lessons. For the older kids we’re trying to explain to them the importance of education and respect and commitment as well. It’s going to be a full on camp, not just a football thing.”
Casillas understands that it will be tough to get through to every single child, but he’s hoping to be able to get through to a majority of them.
“If I can get across to even just a few of them I think it will be a camp well done and I’m talking about the ones that maybe don’t even play football or have an interest in going to school but they go because their parents make them go, you know, I want to get through to those kids,” said the one-time Super Bowl champion.
“Life is tough and it’s a struggle. Some people’s struggles are different than others but I want to show them that it is greener on the other side. It is. If you do put forth the effort and care about not only your education, but your life in general, you can obtain whatever you want and that’s what I want to stress to these kids.”
For more information on Jonathan Casillas’ Forward Progress Camp; visit http://www.bgseinc.com/jonathan-casillas-forward-progress-camp/
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