The Positive Choices football camp, for kids 6-15, had some pretty heavy hitters including NFL players Vernon Davis and Corey Mays. We spoke to Positive Choices’ VP (and high school football coach/counselor), Michael Duran, about the importance of the organization and what it has to offer area youth.
Why Positive Choices Was Founded.
“Sports was a way to draw us away from some of the negative things around our neighborhood, and some of the things that we could have fallen into. We use that (sports) as a key to draw other kids. We feel that if we can use that (sports) that we can start to develop other aspects of those young men’s lives. That was the main focus. Then too, it’s a great opportunity to gather the young men together, in a safe environment, to have fun. So we founded it to take boys off the street, and to use sports as an avenue. That’s (sports) something that all of used to get where we’ve gotten so far.”
How students are selected. “The kids are participants in area youth recreation clubs around the city, and also via word of mouth. We started serving youth in the District and now we have youth from Silver Spring, and all through Maryland. Whoever wants to participate; we’re not going to turn a youth down, we welcome anybody.”
The Goal“Unfortunately, you’re not going to save everybody, but the goal is have a stage where you can reach as many kids as possible. That’s one of the reasons we like to have NFL talent. Kids, by nature, are drawn to NFL players, so it opens their ears, and gives you instant credibility, then we use that as an avenue to continue teach what we believe to be the basic values of manhood, and responsibility, and those kind of qualities.”
Seeing the Fruit of Their Labor
Duran says the program is so successful that many of the now college players, who participated in the football camp when they were in high school, come back during the summers to. “They understand the importance of the program so in the summer they come back to DC. They could be doing anything they want, but they understand how it helps the kids.”
What The Kids Learned (and had to say)
We talked to a few of the participants in the camp and this is what they had to say about having fun and learning at the camp.
Marcus (7th grade/WR) “You got to be determined and disciplined.”
Corey (3rd grade/WR) - “I learned how to back pedal and catch the ball.”
Najee (5th grade/TE) - “I learned how to pivot, plant (my feet) and do running back routes, and more. It’s good to think fast, you just don’t want to stand there.” | His fav player: Brandon Jacobs. Fav team: New York Giants.
Cedrick (5th grade/receiver) - “When you know the ball is coming your way, try your best to come after the ball, it might fly over you. You gotta learn to run fast to get the ball, and when you fumble, try your best to get the ball, because eventually the other team will get the ball.”
His favorite player: Santana Moss. His fav team: “After I saw the Redskins’ offense and defense, I was like, no, let me go to the Titans!”
NFL Players Speak
In the Q&A portion of the football camp the kids got to ask questions to their favorite player.
Vernon Davis (TE/San Francisco 49ers): “My favorite question the kids asked me about was the incident with my coach this season. I told them we just had to get on the same page, he’s a hard worker and he stayed on top of me because I reminded him so much of him when he played the game.”
Corey Mays (Kansas City Chiefs LB). “As a player in the League, you want to give back. You want to give the kids the opportunities that you didn’t have when you were coming up.”
Mays, who tells us his biggest challenge in the NFL is staying ahead of the fierce competition level, offers the following advice for up and coming players. “Always give 100%.” “Don’t give up. Don’t let anyone tell you what you can’t do, or that you’re too small (to play a certain position). You have to bring it every day. What you did yesterday means nothing.”
On the upcoming NFL training camp: “Well, nobody is looking forward to it. It’s grueling, but it’s a necessary evil to get prepared for the season. We're just ready for the season to start.”
Other Positive Choices programs: Men of Valor, a youth mentor program for ages 11-19; Project U-Turn, a program designed to help kids with problems in school; and their latest program, Ladies of Virtue.
What it Costs
The cost program is free, (lunch included). The program is funded by several sponsors, councilmen, and other DC government agencies.
To learn more, or to become involved visit www.Positvechoicesinc.org.
Camp photos here.
Why Positive Choices Was Founded.
“Sports was a way to draw us away from some of the negative things around our neighborhood, and some of the things that we could have fallen into. We use that (sports) as a key to draw other kids. We feel that if we can use that (sports) that we can start to develop other aspects of those young men’s lives. That was the main focus. Then too, it’s a great opportunity to gather the young men together, in a safe environment, to have fun. So we founded it to take boys off the street, and to use sports as an avenue. That’s (sports) something that all of used to get where we’ve gotten so far.”
How students are selected. “The kids are participants in area youth recreation clubs around the city, and also via word of mouth. We started serving youth in the District and now we have youth from Silver Spring, and all through Maryland. Whoever wants to participate; we’re not going to turn a youth down, we welcome anybody.”
The Goal“Unfortunately, you’re not going to save everybody, but the goal is have a stage where you can reach as many kids as possible. That’s one of the reasons we like to have NFL talent. Kids, by nature, are drawn to NFL players, so it opens their ears, and gives you instant credibility, then we use that as an avenue to continue teach what we believe to be the basic values of manhood, and responsibility, and those kind of qualities.”
Seeing the Fruit of Their Labor
Duran says the program is so successful that many of the now college players, who participated in the football camp when they were in high school, come back during the summers to. “They understand the importance of the program so in the summer they come back to DC. They could be doing anything they want, but they understand how it helps the kids.”
What The Kids Learned (and had to say)
We talked to a few of the participants in the camp and this is what they had to say about having fun and learning at the camp.
Marcus (7th grade/WR) “You got to be determined and disciplined.”
Corey (3rd grade/WR) - “I learned how to back pedal and catch the ball.”
Najee (5th grade/TE) - “I learned how to pivot, plant (my feet) and do running back routes, and more. It’s good to think fast, you just don’t want to stand there.” | His fav player: Brandon Jacobs. Fav team: New York Giants.
Cedrick (5th grade/receiver) - “When you know the ball is coming your way, try your best to come after the ball, it might fly over you. You gotta learn to run fast to get the ball, and when you fumble, try your best to get the ball, because eventually the other team will get the ball.”
His favorite player: Santana Moss. His fav team: “After I saw the Redskins’ offense and defense, I was like, no, let me go to the Titans!”
NFL Players Speak
In the Q&A portion of the football camp the kids got to ask questions to their favorite player.
Vernon Davis (TE/San Francisco 49ers): “My favorite question the kids asked me about was the incident with my coach this season. I told them we just had to get on the same page, he’s a hard worker and he stayed on top of me because I reminded him so much of him when he played the game.”
Corey Mays (Kansas City Chiefs LB). “As a player in the League, you want to give back. You want to give the kids the opportunities that you didn’t have when you were coming up.”
Mays, who tells us his biggest challenge in the NFL is staying ahead of the fierce competition level, offers the following advice for up and coming players. “Always give 100%.” “Don’t give up. Don’t let anyone tell you what you can’t do, or that you’re too small (to play a certain position). You have to bring it every day. What you did yesterday means nothing.”
On the upcoming NFL training camp: “Well, nobody is looking forward to it. It’s grueling, but it’s a necessary evil to get prepared for the season. We're just ready for the season to start.”
Other Positive Choices programs: Men of Valor, a youth mentor program for ages 11-19; Project U-Turn, a program designed to help kids with problems in school; and their latest program, Ladies of Virtue.
What it Costs
The cost program is free, (lunch included). The program is funded by several sponsors, councilmen, and other DC government agencies.
To learn more, or to become involved visit www.Positvechoicesinc.org.
Camp photos here.
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