Training For Life

On a humid afternoon in mid-July, 120 children sat on a hill in North Baltimore listening closely to the individuals before them. The speakers, renowned for their athleticism and physical abilities, talked not of sports but of character and integrity.

Such was the scene this week at the Gilman School in Baltimore, as Bart Scott, Jason Brown, and Velocity Sports Performance teamed up to bring a unique camp experience to the city's youth. For four days, campers took part in discussions, drills and scrimmages as children ages 8-18 were coached on the physical and mental approaches to both football and everyday life.

The inaugural camp culminated with Thursday's "combine," where every camper was given the chance to participate in the same test given to NFL hopefuls each spring.

"The camp went better than we would have expected," said Jamie McDonald, founder of Velocity Sports Performance in Baltimore. "A big part of that was the way we've been able to work with Bart and Jason. They were phenomenal partners."

Planned by Scott and Velocity, a sports and fitness training company, the camp combined the fundamentals of football with training exercises for improving one's athleticism. Each day, campers participated in various skill stations such as pass catching, blocking and route running.

Between practicing the fundamentals of the game, participants learned how to improve their acceleration, quickness and speed. When put together, the different stations provided a blueprint for the vast array of workouts athletes apply at the professional level.

"It's been a progressive thing," Scott said. "At the beginning, we strictly did drills. After the drills, we put in a little bit of man-to-man techniques and a little bit of zone concepts. Now they're putting it all together."

"You have to practice what you learn."

A message he conveyed for both on and off the field. During his daily talks, Scott emphasized the importance of hard work and discipline in any situation or environment. Stressing that work needs to be done in the community, Scott spoke on being proactive in bringing together people from all different backgrounds.

"I talked about the importance of building bridges and being able to link communities and social classes together," Scott said. "We [need to] remove some of those barriers and prejudices that we have about each other that are not deserved."

Something Scott practices first-hand. With the help of Velocity, he was able to sponsor nearly 50 children from the Police Athletic League (PAL) for the camp.

"For some of the kids in the PAL organization, who for either financial or transportation reasons couldn't get to us, it's such a great opportunity for us to bring it to them," McDonald said. "[Bart] has made a real point of supporting our goal of being able to provide the camp for these [scholarship] kids."

On a field littered with smiles and cheers, it was no doubt that the children appreciated the opportunity as well. As an added bonus, Scott and Brown invited their fellow Ravens to assist with Wednesday's activities.

Joining them were current and former Ravens Rob Abiamiri, Dwan Edwards, Atiyyah Ellison, Dennis Haley, Brad Jackson, Clarence Moore, Mike Smith, Musa Smith and Adalius Thomas. The players taught at different stations during the afternoon, then enjoyed coaching their various teams as the camp split up for scrimmages.

"It's great," said Willie Jackson, a 12-year old from Rosedale. "[I've learned] how to get faster, get stronger and how to cut-off when they throw a ball in the air. [Bart taught me] how to keep your anger down, keep your head in the game and that you need good grades to play. You have to stay focused on what you want to do."

Seconds after he was given a defensive assignment, Jackson bolted in front of his opponent's pass and returned it for a touchdown. Minutes later, Scott re-lived the play with him, high-fiving Jackson in congratulations.

"Hopefully, the kids had an experience that they will remember forever," said McDonald. "This was a fantastic camp."

More Ravens Offer Football Camps

Scott wasn't the only Raven to hold a football camp before the season gets underway. For the fifth year, Ed Reed went back to his alma mater, Destrehan High School in St. Rose, La., for his annual event. He was aided by tight end Daniel Wilcox, who flew south to pitch in at the late-June camp.

Also, Haley kicked off what he hopes to be an annual occurrence in his hometown of Salem, Va. His three-day camp, which was put on in part with Elite Performance, took place June 28-30.