Youth Football Return on Investment

 

A LOOK BACK

More than 150 youth football players took part in the first annual Thompson Family Football Camp on Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Matthew Gilleran Field at the Truman Waterfront Park. Led by Carolina Panthers tight end Colin Thompson and his family, several of his Panthers teammates and coaches, as well as Jacksonville Jaguar running back and Key West native Mekhi Sargent and numerous college and high school coaches took part in the two-hour camp. Each registered camper got a T-shirt, lunch and a goodie bag.

Mekhi Sargent signed hundreds of autographs on shoes, shirts, caps and balls for the second annual Key West Football Camp.

 

By SCORE STAFF

Jul 8, 2023

A whole lot more time, money and effort were invested in youth football during the past year.

Before the Key West Junior Football League kicked off in August of 2022, the second annual Summer Football Camp was conducted at the George Mira Football Field with NFL and hometown hero Mekhi Sargent along with collegiate and prep coaches bringing their expertise to more than 100 local youth.

The Key West Junior Football League started with a football jamboree in August, with the regular season commencing on Saturday, Sept. 3, and running through Saturday, Nov. 12.

Before the season ended, Homecoming festivities took center stage as Dakota Lettie was named Homecoming Queen.

The final whistle sounded on Saturday, Nov. 12, as three teams completed the regular season with perfect marks.

In the B Division, the Shrimp Pimp Seahawks finished with a 6-0 record, while the Lass Re Captive Packers ended with a 7-0 mark in the C Division and AOK Realty Gators topped out at 7-0, too, in Flag play.

Things did not go so well for Key West in the postseason. On Saturday, Dec. 10, the Miami-Dade Extreme Youth Steelers won all three games against Key West All-Stars, two via shutout. The Key West U9 squad came close but made too many mistakes against the seasoned Steelers teams.

Just because the season ended, it was not the end, rather just the beginning for the 2023 season.

On Saturday, Feb. 4, NFL players converged on Key West to hold the first Thompson Family Football Camp. More than 150 youth football players were at the Matthew Gilleran Field at the Truman Waterfront Park. Led by Carolina Panthers tight end Colin Thompson and his family, several of his Panthers’ teammates and coaches, as well as Jacksonville Jaguar running back and Key West native Mekhi Sargent and numerous college and high school coaches took part in the two-hour camp.

And that’s not the end, just the beginning.

According to summer camp organizer Miguel Gonzalez, the third annual offering is slated from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 5, at Mira Field. The camp is free for youth players from the age of 5-14. Contact Gonzalez at 305-684-6727 for information.