The Saints hosted 100 youth fans for a four day camp at the 15th Annual Community Patrol Program presented by Raising Cane's.
The 15th Annual Saints Community Patrol Program presented by Raising Cane's kicked off on Tuesday, June 27 at the New Orleans Saints facility in Metairie.
The New Orleans Saints and the United Way joined forces to put on four separate one day camps where over 400 local youth of underprivileged households are invited to participate. The program combines football and life skills lessons.
"Excellence in both the classroom and on the field goes hand in hand, which is something our players show all the time in their achievements as living proof," said Saints Director of Youth Programs Jason Trosclair. "These camps are a great opportunity for us to teach and instill some of these same football skills and life skills at the same time."
The camp consisted of five 45-minute-long sessions focusing on several football positions, including quarterback, running back and wide receiver as well as a Life Skills and a "Heads Up Tackle" session. At each station, camp participants learned and practiced a variety of football drills which focused on proper techniques such as throwing, running, catching and tackling.
The Life Skills station consists of a technology driven activity that is provided by the NFL's Character Playbook (powered by EverFi) in partnership with the United Way. The playbook teaches the campers about analyzing influences, understanding and managing emotions, communicating effectively, resolving conflicts, stepping in and making decisions.
Former players Mel Mitchell and James Allen were in attendance to help teach the campers the proper techniques. Both defensive players, Mitchell taught the campers the proper tackling form in the "Heads Up Tackle" station and Allen taught the campers how to be a linebacker in the running back station. Both retired players were on the Saints rosters in the early 2000s. Mitchell was a defensive back and Allen played linebacker. Current Saints wide receiver Willie Snead attended the event on Thursday, June 29 to help teach the kids the ins and outs of being a wide receiver. Snead helped teach proper catching technique, proper route running and the proper wide out stance at the line of scrimmage.
