As the summer heads into July, many people and organizations across Clay County have created athletic camps for kids to participate. Listed below are some of the notable sports camps that are available for kids in Clay County.
Cliff Avril 11th Annual Youth Football Camp
The former Super Bowl champion Cliff Avril will return to Clay High School on July 15 to host his 11th annual free youth football camp.
Through the Cliff Avril Family Foundation, Avril will return to his former high school along with other NFL players to provide one-on-one instruction for the campers, according to Eventbrite. The event has a limit of 250 campers and is free to youth from ages 12 to 18. The campers must be pre-registered on the Eventbrite website. The campers will receive a T-shirt, a photo with Avril, a goody bag, and lunch. The campers are encouraged to wear athletic clothing and will wear shirts provided by Avril.
Avril graduated from Clay High in 2004 and played football in college for the Purdue Boilermakers. According to Sports Reference, Avril recorded 157 total tackles, 12.5 sacks, and two interceptions during his three seasons at Purdue. Avril is one of 13 members of Purdue’s honorary group, The Den of Defensive Ends. The group was established in 2004 and consists of other famous Purdue defensive ends such as George Karlaftis, Ryan Kerrigan, Lamar Lundy, and Shaun Philips.
Avril was drafted in the third round by the Detroit Lions in the 2008 NFL Draft as a defensive end. He spent five seasons in Detroit. Avril had 168 combined tackles, 39.5 sacks, 16 forced fumbles, and one interception for Detroit.
He then signed with the Seattle Seahawks in 2013. He won a Super Bowl with Seattle in 2014 and was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2016. After five seasons with Seattle, Avril decided to retire when the 2017 season ended. According to Pro-Football-Reference, he logged 298 total tackles, 74 sacks, and 30 forced fumbles during his 10-year career in the NFL.
Avril created the Cliff Avril Family Foundation in 2014. He was inspired to create the foundation after the loss of his grandmother and his mother's diagnosis of diabetes, according to the Cliff Avril Family Foundation website. Avril’s mission is to educate children about the importance of healthy living and to spread awareness of type 2 diabetes. Avril also uses his foundation to give educational support to the children of Haiti, where his family is from.
Tim Callahan Free Flag Football Camp
The Tim Callahan Inspiration Foundation will host a football camp on July 1 at Russell Baptist Church, 2299 Sandridge Road, Green Cove Springs, from 10 a.m. to noon. According to Facebook, the camp is for boys and girls from ages 5-12 and will have elite football players as counselors for the kids. To register, go to the Tim Callahan Inspiration Foundation’s Facebook page and click the send message button and provide the child’s name and age, according to the Facebook post. Click here for the Facebook post.
Bronco Basketball Club Camp
The Bronco Basketball Club Camp will be held at Annunciation Catholic Church, 1610 Blanding Blvd, Middleburg, on July 10-13 for boys and girls from 2nd to 8th grade from 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. for $115. Campers are advised to bring their own lunch, water bottle and dress in athletic wear and basketball shoes.
The camp focuses on fundamental basketball skills with ball handling, passing, shooting, defense and other drills and skill development tactics. For those who want more information on the camp, contact Coach Sean Sweeney at (610) 299-0088 or broncobasketballcamps@gmail.com. Click here for more information.
Clay Cobras Kids Camp
The ninth annual Clay Cobras Kids Camp will be held at Clay High School on July 18-19 from 9 a.m. to noon for $80. The Clay Cobras are a high school age travel baseball team that has numerous players on the roster who are good enough to play at the next level. The Cobra players serve as the coaches for the camp as a way to give back to the community and inspire the next generation of baseball players in Clay County. The camp is for kids from ages K-6th grade who want to learn the fundamentals of baseball. Kids participating in the summer camp will need to bring cleats, a bat, a glove and water.
To register, send an email to claycobrasbaseball@gmail.com with the subject line “Cobras Camp” with the player’s name, age, parent contact and shirt size. For more information, click here.
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