Learning, having fun among major themes at this year's Cheboygan youth football camp

CHEBOYGAN – Bill Nesbitt knows all too well about summer football camps.

From his days in St. Clair to working with the Detroit Lions and all across the state, it's been a major passion of his.

“They’re great,” the first-year Cheboygan head coach said. “I was very fortunate to work with (the Lions) to learn a few tricks of the trade, how to organize the kids, particularly the young kids I’m not used to working with.”

This week, Nesbitt has had a chance to connect with the community by hosting Cheboygan’s youth football camp . It’s the first youth camp held in Cheboygan by Nesbitt, who’s hit the ground running since taking the varsity job in April.

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As for what’s gone on this week, Nesbitt emphasized three important items with the camp and kids.

“No. 1, they’ve all learned something,” Nesbitt said. “They’ve learned every day and they’ve been able to demonstrate what they’ve learned. No. 2, they’re having fun. If you can’t have fun playing the game, something’s wrong. I believe this is the greatest team sport in the world. They ought to be having fun and they are.

“Lastly, it’s some character education. These kids are understanding the things we’re doing on the field are way more important than catching, throwing, tackling, blocking, but learning how to treat each other, learning how to work hard when things are difficult, learn how to have a little bit of grit, learn how to have integrity, doing the right things for the right reasons for the right way, which is our mantra for our program.

“They are learning things that will translate off the field to the home to the classroom to the community."

While he won’t be coaching under the Friday night Cheboygan lights for about a month, Nesbitt has cherished his time working with youngsters and perhaps finding a way for them to stick with football in the future.

“I want to get energized by being around these kids because they’re great kids,” Nesbitt said. “Secondly, they find out that when they’re working, we’re enjoying it, and hopefully that makes them say, ‘I want to keep doing that.’ I’ve always said that a kid – if at a lower level, pre-varsity, whether it’s Junior Chiefs or third grade or JV in the high school – if they’re not having fun, then we as coaches are failing them. They should want to come back next year. We must do things to make sure they understand that working and having fun can be synonymous.”

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Thursday’s camp finished with games of flag football, something kids grade 3-8 were excited to take part in. Right there to work with them were Nesbitt, some of his staff members, and Cheboygan players.

“It’s a bonding experience (with the players),” Nesbitt said. “I get to see them in a more informal atmosphere, and they get to see me a little more playful with the young guy atmosphere, but equally, they are learning by teaching, because the greatest way you can learn is through teaching somebody something, that skill, that idea. Those kids look up to them. I explained to them that when they were in fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth grade – those were their heroes.

“Now you have a chance to give back and be the heroes for those kids.”

The last day of the Cheboygan camp takes place on Friday morning.

Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com . Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT

This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Learning, having fun among major themes at this year's Cheboygan youth football camp