Deborah showing us the front lobby area
Inside the Stadium where all athletes get to hang out
Walking onto the field!
Point of view from the football field
Best view in the stadium!
UW's growing trophy case
With summer and sunshine fast approaching, OYPC wants to shine the spotlight on youth sports and opportunities to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather. When it comes to sports in Washington, Husky Football is the top dawg. Husky Football brings athletes and fans from all over Washington together as part of a greater community. For those aspiring to be collegiate athletes, or those who just love the game, Husky Football invites high school youth to join in their annual Football Camps. These camps help youth learn football fundamentals while enjoying the full Husky Football experience.
We had the pleasure of talking with Deborah Goldstein, Director of Football Operations, to learn more about the goals, mission and logistics behind UW’s Football Camps and how they have impacted the youth in our community. As Director of Football Operations, Deborah handles the logistics of the UW football team, coordinating gameday planning, travel, camps, and other special events. Deborah has been with the football department since 2010, and has been in her current role for the past seven years.
Husky Football Camps
Each year, Washington football camps bring over 250 youth into Husky Stadium to learn the game and develop their skills. “They’re eager and hungry to learn. I think the excitement is very obvious and everyone feels that.” This summer, UW Football is hosting two camps for high schoolers grades 9 -12. The Specialist Camp supports youth in developing their kicking, punting, and long-snapping skills, while the Top Dawg Camp works with all other positions. With safety in mind and recognizing the increased injury risk with youth, UW’s camps are non-contact. Participants focus on running routes, practicing their 3-point stance, and exploring other fundamentals in a way that is both safe and fun. Additionally, Husky Football’s medical team is on site for both camps should any need arise. Both camps will take place on Friday, June 16th, and camps are open to any and all entrants, regardless of gender, ability, or intent of pursuing collegiate athletics.
In addition to youth camps, UW Football hosts coaching clinics for high school football coaches. These clinics provide the opportunity to learn coaching techniques and fundamentals from the UW coaching staff, preparing coaches to best support student athletes while promoting safety and a love for the game in their programs.
With hundreds of youth attending these camps, a large team is required to keep things running smoothly. The full football coaching staff, in addition to other personnel, participate in overseeing camps. “Everybody from creative, to video, the coaches, the strength staff, training, everybody’s really here to make sure everything goes well for all of our campers.” On top of the UW football staff, players themselves help to teach football fundamentals to campers, providing a fun and unique experience. “They see their favorite players here coaching them and they’re learning from them. It’s a great way to give back to the community and give back to these kids who really look up to them. I think it makes us stand out and very unique.”
As Deborah shares, the ultimate goal of UW’s football camps is for youth to have fun while improving their skills and learning about the game. “The goal for our football camps is for everyone to leave feeling improvement in their craft, or ‘I’m learning something and I want to pursue that a little bit more.’ So the goal is to leave feeling happy, healthy, and that they had a safe experience here on campus.” Camp staff work to ensure that when youth leave Husky Stadium, they feel empowered and confident as both an athlete on the field and as an individual off the field.
Community Impact of Football at UW
While the primary focus of UW’s football camps is teaching youth the game, camps also provide a great tool for community-building. Instead of coaches recruiting on the road, football camps bring students to UW to directly experience the culture and excitement around Husky Football.
“In Seattle, everyone lives and breathes Husky Football. It’s made an impact that we have the camp here. It’s in our stadium. Our coaches coach it. Our players coach it. It ties everyone to the program and to the community. People love Husky Football and it shows, and I think we really do a good job of bridging that and hopefully impacting the community in a positive way.” – Deborah
The connection between camp participants and the Husky Football community is strong, with some participants going on to become future Husky Football players!
By having UW coaches and players guide students in person, it shows that the game of football and the Husky Football community is accessible and fun for everyone, providing an empowering experience for youth. “It’s empowering for them to leave here being like, ‘Wow, that guy took the time to really show me the drill, show me the proper way of doing this, and same for our coaches. It really bridges that gap of not making it seem like we’re inaccessible. We are here to help and we are here to really just have fun and play some ball.” UW encourages all youth from different football and athletic backgrounds to participate in this once a year camp.
The different aspects of Husky Football camps, from football teachings to relationship building, provide a positive experience for youth participants, which is Deborah’s favorite part of the experience. “I love seeing a smile on everyone’s face… I’m just proud of all or our staff putting in the time to be a part of these camps and I’m proud of our campers leaving here feeling improvement in their craft. It’s a lot of work for about two-and-a-half hours of camp, but I think everyone here just leaves happy. They enjoy the whole experience.”
Youth gain a lot from these football camps, but serving as camp mentors is also a rewarding experience for UW players and coaches. As Deborah shares, this experience instills a value of community service that stretches beyond the field. “We take the guys to volunteer places and some of these guys even create volunteer opportunities on their own. For Thanksgiving this past year, we had a couple guys completely fundraise a community meal on their own, and a lot of our guys donated money to this cause as well. We had some guys go over to Children’s Hospital and just do all these things.” It is clear that the values and impact of UW’s football camps reach far beyond the scope of the one-day camp!
OYPC Visits the UW Husky Stadium
OYPC members, Nick and Sydnie, got a personal tour from Deborah to see first hand the Football team facilities and the field to see where the action takes place! We were impressed by the amount of pride, care, and passion poured into the UW football program and for their athletes.
We learned how much UW football gives back to the community – it’s evident that their presence has made a great impact on more than just those in Seattle.
We saw coaches in a meeting, football players practicing on the field, trainers in the weight room, additional Football staff throughout the building – the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes was an eye opening experience we are thankful to have had the opportunity to see!
Go Dawgs!
A big thank you to Deborah for taking time to help the Youth at UW community learn more about the UW Football program and their different opportunities. If you are interested in learning more about Football Camp or know someone who would be interested in participating on June 16th, visit https://www.washingtonfootballcamps.com/.