With temperatures reaching nearly 100 degrees in Sedona this past weekend, kids ages eight to 18 enjoyed a little football as the Sedona Youth Football program put on its first annual mini-camp May 17 and May 18 at Sedona Red Rock High.

Nationally renowned football technician Bill Williams and his coaching staff ran the show teaching kids the very basic fundamentals — blocking and tackling — during the two day mini-camp.

“I thought the camp went extremely well. These kids showed the ability to retain information and apply it to the field, something that does not happen often,” Williams said.

By Brian Bergner Jr.

With temperatures reaching nearly 100 degrees in Sedona this past weekend, kids ages eight to 18 enjoyed a little football as the Sedona Youth Football program put on its first annual mini-camp May 17 and May 18 at Sedona Red Rock High.

Nationally renowned football technician Bill Williams and his coaching staff ran the show teaching kids the very basic fundamentals — blocking and tackling — during the two day mini-camp.

“I thought the camp went extremely well. These kids showed the ability to retain information and apply it to the field, something that does not happen often,” Williams said.

Sedona head football coach Rob Lezcano, his staff and coaches from the Sedona Youth Football program were in attendance as well, learning right along with the kids.

All coaches attended a clinic before each day’s camp, learning from the master himself, Williams, and his two sons, 28-year-old Brett Williams and 27-year-old Kyle Williams.

On day one, players learned the essential teaching approach of reverse coaching, or teaching the kids how to do the fundamentals backwards.

“We start the player in the position we want them to be in prior to tackling or blocking and slowly back up the sequence and add footwork, then stance,” Sedona Youth Football president Scott Gilbert said.

These players will become students of the game as each additional phase is walked through, then quarter speed, then half and finally full speed.

Anxious players attentively listened with hands on their hips acting like they had been there before and couldn’t wait until they got their turn to master each and every drill.

Every position was broken down into stations such as lineman, running backs, receivers, linebackers, cornerbacks and safeties with drills to follow.

Receivers learned the art of stalk blocking, crack blocking and cutback safety blocks while cornerbacks and safeties learned stance and footwork.

How about those gritty lineman in the trenches? Well, they learned a few things as well, such as double crowthers, drive blocking and pounding those feet on the move.

What was most impressive to Bill Williams during the entire two day mini-camp was player reaction after being shown a University of California, Los Angeles tape in the video room before a session.

The tape is a normal pump- you-up kind of deal with big hits and tough catches to great music in the background.

“We show this tape to every camp and when asking the kids what it meant to them they always say something to do with it being emotional. For the first time ever, these kids here in Sedona picked out the technique and fundamentals that we are teaching here in this camp. Very impressive,” Williams said.

Williams, who started the Football Coaches Professional Growth Association, is considered one of the nations premier technicians and clinicians.

Besides conducting open enrollment clinics, he annually presents in-service staff clinics and individual consulting on all phases of football for coaches at the high school, collegiate and NFL levels of competition.

“This is exactly how we teach it to the college kids and the professionals. These kids here in Sedona are getting first rate instruction,” Williams said.

Some NFL teams included on Williams’ resume are Dallas, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Miami, San Diego, New York and New Orleans.

What mattered to the kids most, however, was the chance to play football in the spring, learn some new techniques and have fun doing it with their friends by their side.

 Being the first actual football players to use the newly remodeled football field at SRRHS was a special honor as well, something they might never forget.

Brian Bergner Jr. can be reached at 282-7795, Ext. 131, or e-mail to bbergner@larsonnewspapers.com