UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Head coach Bill O’Brien and the Penn State Football staff will welcome high school players from across the nation to the Nittany Lions’ 39th annual summer football camps, which get under way June 1.
In his first season as head coach, O’Brien led the Nittany Lions to wins in eight of their final 10 games and was selected the 2012 Bear Bryant, Maxwell Football Club and ESPN Coach of the Year and the Big Ten-Dave McClain Coach of the Year.
Penn State will offer four football camp opportunities in June, including two Advanced Skills camps (June 1 and 22), Youth (June 9) and Position (June 27-29) camps. The Nittany Lions’ coaching staff will be joined by some of the nation’s best high school and college coaches to provide professional instruction during the camps.
More than 1,000 players annually attend Penn State Football Camps, making it one of the most successful high school football camp operations in the country. The instructional sessions are held at Penn State’s expansive grass and artificial turf fields, or in case of inclement weather, in the Nittany Lions’ indoor facilities, including Holuba Hall.
Penn State Football camp information, including online registration forms, can be found by visiting www.pennstatefootballcamps.com or GoPSUsports.com/camps. Interested individuals can also contact the Penn State Sports Camp office at 814-865-0561, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
The Advanced Skills Camps will be held June 1 and 22 and are open to students entering grades 10-12 this fall. The camp is designed for experienced high school players who want to elevate their skills in preparation for their upcoming season and playing football beyond high school. The camp’s primary focus is on position-specific skill and technique development.
The Penn State Youth Camp will be held June 9 and is open to students entering grades 4-7 this fall. The camp is designed to teach basic fundamentals in all positions creating a strong foundation as an athlete progresses in his football career. Besides both offensive and defensive fundamentals, agility, balance, movement, speed enhancement, conditioning, hydration and sportsmanship will be highlighted.
The Penn State Position Camp is set for June 27 to 29 and is for students entering grades 8-12 this fall. This camp is designed to give players the opportunity to enhance basic football related skills, while also learning individual football techniques and fundamentals. In addition to coach O’Brien and the Penn State staff, high school and college coaches from across the country will provide instruction. Through lectures, demonstrations and drill sessions, camp participants will receive position-specific skill and technique development.
2013 Penn State Football Camps:
June 1 – Advanced Skills Camp I
June 9 – Youth Camp
June 22 – Advanced Skills Camp II
June 27-29 – Position Camp
In O’Brien’s first season as head coach, the Nittany Lions won eight of their final 10 games, beating eventual Big Ten champion Wisconsin on Senior Day to finish 8-4 overall and 6-2 in the Big Ten. O’Brien’s eight wins were the most by a first-year Penn State coach in the 126 years of the program.
Penn State returns 16 starters and 38 letter-winners for the 2013 season. The Nittany Lions will begin spring drills March 18, with the 15 practices culminating in the Blue-White Game, the highlight of the spring sports season. Blue-White Weekend presented by AAA is April 19 to 21, with the game at noon April 20, in Beaver Stadium.
Season tickets are available for the 2013 campaign. The Nittany Lions will host three teams that finished in the 2012 BCS Top 25: Michigan (Oct. 12-Homecoming), Nebraska (Nov. 23) and Kent State (Sept. 21). Purdue (Nov. 16), Illinois (Nov. 2), University of Central Florida (Sept. 14) and Eastern Michigan (Sept. 7) also will visit Beaver Stadium this fall. The Nittany Lions open the season Aug. 31 vs. Syracuse, in MetLife Stadium.
For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and purchasing season tickets, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can visit www.GoPSUsports.com or call 800-NITTANY from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays.
Penn State Athletics is on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pennstatenittanylions) and Twitter (http://www.gopsusports.com/ot/twitter.html).