"We have a responsibility to grow the game": Alabama HC Nick Saban on his youth football camp

Nick Saban is one of the biggest names in college football. The Alabama head coach has more success than any coach in college football. The 71-year-old legend makes efforts to leave a lasting legacy in the sport. Part of this is organizing summer football youth camps to provide young players with the needed help to develop their skills.

He began the tradition during his time as Michigan State head coach in the 1990s. He took it with him to LSU and has subsequently brought it to Alabama. This week, he and his coaching staff welcomed over 1,200 kids between the ages of eight and 13, who came to participate at his camp at Tuscaloosa.

Nick Saban's thoughts on his camp

Nick Saban shared insights about his vision for the camp and the passion that keeps fuelling it in a discussion with ESPN. The reason for the convergence, according to him, is “to promote the game, to promote team.” His vision is for participants to leave the camp “thinking, ‘I like football.’”

Saban identified “bad experience with a coach when they’re young” as one of the reasons why kids have come to lose interest in playing the game. He emphasized the non-profit nature of the program, saying he is “not doing this to make money, and it’s not a recruiting tool”.

For Nick Saban, it is more about a solemn duty to the game. He said:

“We have a responsibility to grow the game."

This explains why the fee for the exercise was set at just $50 per kid. People’s financial situation should not stop them from enjoying what he offered at the camp. What is important, according to him, is:

“That every kid has a chance to come regardless of what their financial situation might be”.

The camp witnessed attendance from kids from across the world. Nick Saban’s reputation as a legendary coach is not the only attraction to the event. The subsequent success of former attendees in football is another factor. For instance, Landon Collins, who attended Saban’s camp at LSU, went on to play college football at Alabama and ultimately in the NFL.

While this might not be the story of most attendees, it is an evidence to how far kids can go from their initial love for the game.