Youth Football Camps in Hawaii

Children all over America take to the gridiron each year in hopes of becoming the next NFL star. And all of those starring at the professional ranks got their start somewhere, many at youth instructional camps. If you live in Hawaii and are looking for a youth football camp to attend, there are several options available.

  1. Game Plan Football Academy

    • Game Plan Football Academy in Laie, Hawaii, was founded in 2003, according to kidscamps.com. Under the direction of Keawe Gilman, as many as 250 athletes between the ages of 14 and 18 can learn valuable lessons on the field during this annual summertime camp.

      The camp has sent players on to the collegiate level, including University of Hawaii's Rocky Savaiigaea, who attended the first camp and told warriorquotes.wordpress.com "the lessons he learned as a high school senior attending the very first Game Plan Football Academy have stayed with him through his college career."

      A part of Education-1st Hawaii, a non-profit organization helping Hawaiian youth receive college educations, Game Plan Football Academy draws coaches from around the country as part of its quest to set students up for future success, according to digitalsports.com. The focus of the program is on teaching the skills necessary for a transition to college and college-level athletics.

      There is also a Junior Football Academy for younger athletes at Aloha Stadium.

    Just Win Football Camp

    • Just Win Footaball Camp takes place in Kula, Hawaii, according to KidsCamps.com. Also founded in 2003, the camp is open to athletes between the ages of 13 and 18 and is run under the direction of J.W. Kenton, Brian Cabral and Mike Smith.

      According to an article at sportshawaii.com, Just Win is the oldest football camp in the state and the first two have been conceived on the islands. The same story describes the camp as "high intensity" with a focus on fundamentals. Notable coaches such as former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach have attended.

      The camp features off-the-field elements such as the practice of “haka / ha’a,” instilling in the campers a sense of "traditional values and cultural identity."

      On the field, campers take part in many games and exercises, including the "Battle of Baghdad," a 10-second drill featuring a three-man team that is a pursuit of "superiority within shapely boundary lines."

    University of Hawaii camps

    • The University of Hawaii hosts annual camps in several forms, for athletes beginning as young as age 5. There is a two-day kids camp for athletes between the ages of 5 and 12, featuring a two-hour clinic each day, as well as Skills Camp and Big Man Camp for athletes aged 13 and up.

      The Skills Camp is for those who play wide receiver, defensive back, quarterback, running back or tight end and is a two-hour clinic each day over four days. Big Man Camp is for those who play along the offensive and defensive lines and is also a two-hour clinic over each of four days.

      More information can be found at http://hawaiiathletics.com/sports/2009/4/22/FB_0422090215.aspx.