Second Weatherbie camp at ULM attracts 170-plus players
Brenda Young
byoung@thenewsstar.com
August 1, 2004
One would have thought the high school football season had come a month early as athletes lined up Saturday in the foyer of Malone Stadium.
Nearly 175 prep football players registered to participate in Louisiana-Monroe's Indian Senior Day, a one-day camp designed for top seniors to showcase their talents to the ULM coaching staff.
ULM coach Charlie Weatherbie started the camp last year with just 75 players in attendance.
"We got some really high-calibered athletes coming to this camp," said Weatherbie, entering his second season with the Indians. "Recruiting starts real early. I mean we started recruiting this particular class a year ago at this time. We're excited about this group coming in here. It's an opportunity to give them some good college coaching, which is fun."
During the spring, campers from all over the state and parts of Mississippi, Texas and Arkansas received letters and a phone call informing them of Saturday's event.
West Monroe fullback Brandon Banks was among those who paid $25 to attend the camp. He sees it as a great opportunity.
"You meet a lot of people," said Banks, who has visited several camps during the summer. "The coaches look for heart and they want to see you play. Some don't care to see how fast you are or how strong you are, they want to see what you can do."
After registration was completed, the campers were measured for height and weight and then went through various workouts that included running the 40-yard dash and long jumps. They were also separated by position to perform another series of exercises.
Weatherbie said the camp can help improve players' overall game.
"It gives them some instruction that they can take back to their high schools and use some of the techniques and drills we have worked on here," Weatherbie said.
Marcus Washington, an offensive tackle at Peabody High in Alexandria, agrees.
"It helps you get on the recruiting list," Washington said. "The camp teaches you a lot about techniques, teaches you the game. You just learn a little more."
Beyond going through workouts, the campers also learned about the university and what it has to offer academically. During the lunch, the campers heard a presentation by academic officials.
"We give them a chance to see the campus, we give them a chance to talk to some academic people and explain to them what we have to offer as student-athletes," Weatherbie said. "There are parents that come with them as well. We are not only trying to sell the kids, we are trying to sell the parent. We want to make sure they get a great education and that academics is a big part of it."
Parents like Frank Kitchen of Winnsboro drove his son, Kenny, to the camp hoping his son catches someone's attention.
"You can't pick all the good kids in less than half a day, but maybe it's that one thing that the coaches are looking for and the coaches are honing in on that," he said. "They are looking for a specific athlete for a specific position and there's maybe that one kid coming along who grabs their eye. It might be your kid. It might be mine."
The News-Star
August 1, 2004
