By SHERRI KOLADE
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN — Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh will teach children about football and professional lessons he learned in his career during a two-day camp in Dearborn.
At the 2012 Old Spice Ndamukong Suh Football Camp, Suh, All Pro and National Football League 2010 Rookie of the Year, will teach children ages 7 to 14 about the fundamentals of football through small group activities, daily games and skill contests, among other types of interactive methods. The camp runs from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. June 9 and 10 at Dearborn High School, 19501 W. Outer Drive. Registration is $199.
The football camp also teamed up with Big Brothers and Sisters, giving children from a disadvantaged background a chance to attend the camp for free, Adam Smith, Camp operations coordinator said.
“It is an opportunity for kids to come,” Smith said. “They are really going to benefit from it and they are treated the same.”
Dearborn was chosen as a camp location because “it was a good fit for space and location,” Smith said.
“We wanted a place close for scholarship partners and close to different demographics,” Smith said.
The move marks the camp’s first time in Dearborn. It was held in Walled Lake last year.
Camp Marketing Coordinator Vincent Cicchinelli said the camp idea came about because Suh wanted to give back.
“Suh wanted to get involved,” Cicchinelli said. “Football camps are a way he felt he could give back and do something (he was) passionate about. It seemed like a perfect fit.”
Cincchinelli also said that aside from football, Suh will encourage the campers to stay in school and work hard.
“They are going to listen to their favorite athlete,” Cincchinelli said. “It is not like he shows up 10 minutes, speaks and leaves. He is there the entire time. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
The camp is operated by Procamp, a company based out of Cincinnati, which runs a number of different professional-youth athlete camps across the country.
Camp bracelets, at a cost of $10, are available for the safety and convenience of campers. The bracelet includes two sports drinks, lunch and one snack each day. The bracelets are non-refundable.
For more information about the camp or to register, call 888-389-2267 or go to procamps.com/ndamukongsuhcamp.
(Sherri Kolade can be reached at [email protected])