The 2024 Cougar Football Rec League Football Camp started off strong Friday evening with over 150 young athletes coming out to learn from and work out with the Cougars in a free camp hosted by the Pulaski County Recreation Department and the Cougar Football team.
“We had just over double the number of young players come out this year compared to last year,” Cougar Football Head Coach Cam Akers said. “The rain kept some of them from coming back out Saturday morning, but the ones that did come back for day two had a great experience. We felt like it was a great camp for the younger kids and for our players and coaches.”
During the camp, the varsity coaching staff and players ran the younger players through drills to help boost them up before the start of the season. Basic drills and position specific drills gave players a chance to learn from the same coaches that they hope to play for one day on the varsity squad.
“We want this to keep growing,” Coach Akers said. “A lot of sports are losing players, and football isn’t immune from it. Kids have so many things to do now, and football takes a big commitment. You’ve got to be in the weight room. You’ve got to work hard during the offseason. You’ve got to be willing to make sacrifices for the team and program. The numbers are down for most teams, and we’ve seen it as well. I know our rec league does a great job of promoting all sports, and they’ve also connected them to our program to help boost excitement. We hope that the work we’re doing with our rec teams will start to bring out more young athletes.”
Shay Dunnigan, Pulaski County Director of Parks and Recreation, is one of many Cougar Football alumni that are hoping to help boost those numbers.
“Any time we work with Coach Akers and the Cougar Football program it’s a win for our county. We want to continue to build those bonds,” Dunnigan said. “Our rec football teams have had a good deal of success, including winning several Eddie Sutphin Memorial Super Bowl championships since we started that with the surrounding areas and the New River Valley Youth Football League. It’s a great event that brings the season to a close each year. We’ve also been fortunate to have several local businesses and organizations that have been willing to serve as sponsors to make the event even more special.”
Saturday, the players arrived and were presented camp shirts free of charge. At the end of the day, the players and their parents were able to enjoy pizza and drinks, again thanks to sponsors.
Jessica Adkins, of Mar-Bal Inc. in Dublin, was one of the many volunteers who helped serve up the food and drinks and then hand out door prizes.
“The food, snacks, and drinks were donated by Mar-Bal Inc.,” Adkins said. “Hodge Insurance donated $100 for all the water. We were also very pleased to receive donations for door prizes for all those who came out. Mar-Bal donated 10 wireless phone chargers and a Yeti ball cap. The YMCA of Pulaski donated four six-month family memberships. The Travis Team Realty donated 10 $10 Sonic gift cards. Sonic of Pulaski donated four more. OK Barber Shop in Pulaski donated gift certificates for five free haircuts. Top Shelf Apparel donated four Cougar shirts and two Cougar hats also. The kids really seemed to have a great time, even in the rain.”
“We want to help boost all of our sports programs at the middle school and high school,” Dunnigan said. “When the Cougars win, we all win. Our county really promotes the fact that we are a recreation destination. We also want to see people play outside and enjoy the great parks, facilities, and outdoor recreation locations that we offer. Exercise is a key part of a healthy lifestyle and we’ve been adding even more opportunities for our citizens to participate in those types of activities. Our Pulaski County Clubs are also a great way for people in our community to get out and get active, and we offer a wide variety of activities for people of all ages.”
For more information about the Pulaski County Parks and Recreation, visit www.pulaskicounty.org and click on Parks and Recreation. For more about the Cougar Football team, visit https://www.pcva.us/o/aa/page/cougarfootball.
