Basic training

PALMER — Rod Christiansen has been coaching football for more than two decades. But the longtime head coach of the Palmer High School football program is always eager to learn something new. That’s just one reason why Christiansen looks forward to the annual All-Alaska Football Camp.

The camp, which has been attracting players from across the 49th state for the last 19 years, was designed to give athletes from the Last Frontier, a firsthand football education courtesy of college coaches from throughout the country. But it’s not just the athletes who benefit. There’s also time for the coaches to learn.

The four-day camp, which came to a close Wednesday at Colony High School, included four classroom sessions for Alaska coaches that covered a variety a topics related to offensive and defensive schemes and strategy.

“For us to get tips and points is great,” Christiansen said. “I’m in my 20th year, and I pick up a few things every year.”

West Texas A&M defensive coordinator Colby Carthel, who spoke during one of the defensive sessions, said coaching is simply a profession of borrowed knowledge.

“We start with the fundamentals and get as detailed as the high school coaches want and time allowed,” Carthel said.

The most important part is the sharing of information and experience, he said. Carthel has recently had the chance to listen to University of Alabama head coach Nick Saban, University of Texas head coach Mack Brown and Dallas Cowboys Wade Phillips.

“Everybody learns from everybody,” Carthel said.

Carthel said he tries to cover a range of information, from general strategy to specific techniques. Christiansen said it’s a valuable resource.

“This is what they do full time,” Christiansen said. “It’s what they do for a living.”

Christiansen said the opportunity to simply interact with the college coaches can be as important.

“You pick up some things every year listening to these guys,” Christiansen said. “You can come out and watch drills and learn from them.”

Carthel was one of about 20 coaches who were in attendance during the 19th annual camp. The camp was also created to foster recruiting opportunities for Alaska athletes.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.