Junior Flames brave heat at camp

Off the streets and into cleats. That’s what approximately 60 Lodi Jr. Flames youth football players were doing at the Lodi High football team’s practice field, taking part in the Lodi Youth Football Camp on Friday afternoon. The camp ran from 2006 until 2012.

“I wanted to start getting these camps going again,” said Jerry Shuman, president of the Jr. Flames.

Broken up into two sessions, kids who are playing on the Jr. Flames’ future and starts competed in the one-day camp with no shoulder pads and helmet. Lodi High football coach Robert Sperling, along with his assistant coaches and players on the school’s varsity football team conducted the camp. The Jr. Flames’ varsity and junior varsity players took part in an earlier session.

“We did an hour and half with them,” said Sperling during Friday’s session with the younger players.

The players were learning the fundamentals of the game. That starts with proper stretching, followed by running techniques. The correct form of a 3-point stance and positioning for tackling a player on offense were taught by the Lodi High

coaching staff and varsity players.

“We teach them proper 40s and 20s (yard dash runs),” Sperling said. “We’ll run obstacle-type drills for linemen, running backs, linebackers and defensive backs.”

Plenty of enthusiasm to learning techniques could be seen among the faces of the bulk of the Jr. Flames’ players face.

“I’m really proud of how they are paying attention,” Sperling said.

The Lodi High football players who were helping out are former Jr. Flames players.

“They are giving back to the program,” Sperling said.

Shuman pointed out that part of the reason for the success that the Lodi High varsity football teams toward the end of the 2000s through the 2012 season is because of the camp.

“We were really competitive,” Shuman said.

Sperling said that he and his assistant coaches, plus frosh/soph and freshman coach Keith Mettler and his assistants and varsity players are planning to hold some more one day camps before the Jr. Flames their season in early September.

PHOTOS BY MIKE BUSH/NEWS-SENTINEL Above: A group of Lodi Jr. Flames varsity football players take off during a drill in front of Lodi High junior varsity football coach Keith Mettler on Friday. A group of Lodi Jr. Flames varsity football players take part in a blocking technique drill.

MIKE BUSH/ NEWS-SENTINEL Lodi High football player Geno Bertolozzi, right, stands as a running in a drill where two Lodi Jr. Flames' varsity football play rush toward Bertolozzi in a drill on Friday. Watching is Lodi High coach Robert Sperling.