Record number to attend All-Alaska Football Camp

PALMER - There will be a record turnout when the All-Alaska Football Camp starts Sunday at Colony High School.

The longest running gridiron camp in the 49th state, the event has grown to include nearly every football team in Alaska.

Camp director Randy Klingenmeyer said the camp has really taken off in the last three to four years. But the numbers of athletes on the CHS fields for the four-day event this week will be above and beyond anything the organizers have seen in the last 14 years.

Part of that, Klingenmeyer said is All-Alaska's evolution from a series individual skills clinics to a team camp.

&#8220That's what sets this camp apart,” Klingenmeyer said. &#8220You work on your own systems.”

The camp annually brings numerous college coaches to Alaska, this year 25 coaches from 14 different schools will attend. But rather than focusing on individual skills, these college coaches are at the camp to help team's implement and practice their own offensive and defensive systems.

With this format, a program will bring most of its squad to the camp to work on team concepts. Last year 18 different programs from around the state participated in the camp. Klingenmeyer expects that number to hit 20 this year. Impressive, considering there are only 26 schools in the state with football programs.

All-Alaska started as an individual skills camp, but made a partial conversion in 2001. By 2002, the camps focus had been shifted toward the team.

The camp also offers an all-schools team, made up of players from various programs. Even though it is a team camp, Klingenmeyer said, organizers wanted to give every eager high school football player the chance to participate.

The camp is broken up to provide significant time for both offense and defense. The teams focus on offense in the mornings and defense in the afternoons. Athletes also have position meetings and film study.

Klingenmeyer said organizers also try to customize the camps for the teams. College coaches with experience in particular systems are paired with teams that run that system. He noted that aspect is important to the high school coaches as well.

More than a decade ago, just as the All-Alaska camp was becoming a major event to list on the state's football calendar, it was rare that high school coaches participated in the camp. This year 40 high school coaches from around the state will attend the camp. All-Alaska also offers a clinic in the evening for the prep mentors.

The camp has not only provided a chance for players to improve their skills during the summer months, it has given athletes an opportunity to make football a part of their future. Coaches don't come to the 49th state just for the fishing. They're here to reel in the next batch of talent.

Before the camp's inaugural year, only a handful of players would go out of state to play football in college. Now an average of 30 to 40 players are signing National Letters of Intent to play football each year.

&#8220It definitely has a big impact,” Klingenmeyer said.

Dennis McCullough, head coach of the Valley City State program in Valley City State, N.D., has been involved with the camp for several years. That is a direct effect on the large number of Alaskan athletes on his roster. For each of the last several seasons, the number of Alaskans in a Valley City State uniform has hit double digits.

The camp has a handful of alumni who have not only gone onto successful college careers, but have reached the professional level.

Two former lineman at the camp, Dimond High School graduate Chris Kuper and North Pole High School graduate Daryn Colledge, were selected in the 2006 NFL draft.

Former Colony High School star Cole Magner attended the camp for four years, and is now on the Atlanta Falcons roster.

Klingenmeyer also noted players such as Sarge Truesdell, who earned All-America honors at Valley City, and is now the head coach of the Soldotna High School football program.

The camp includes full days of football on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, and concludes with an award ceremony on Wednesday.

As the camp continues to grow, Klingenmeyer said, All-Alaska is looking for corporate sponsors. Anyone interested can call 561-6059.

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