AMBRIDGE — For the 14th straight year, Tyrone Dixon and his cast of instructors will host the Homeboys Football Camp.
“It’s our way of giving back to the community,” he said.
This year’s free three-day camp for youths between the ages of 7 and 17 will be held at Ambridge’s Moe Rubenstein Stadium.
Football instruction is the main draw for the campers, but as always, it’s more than football.
Dixon and his Homeboys staff use the camp as a platform to have a positive impact on children. Between football sessions throughout the way, campers also learn about the importance of education, character building and crime prevention.
It’s football and life lessons.
“It’s for the kids,” said Dixon, a 1982 Center High School graduate who was inducted into the Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame in 2014 for his 25-plus years as an assistant coach on the pro, college and high school levels.
“It’s for the advancement of the kids. It’s all about the kids.”
The camp kicks off on Wednesday with a seven-on-seven passing tournament. As many as six high school teams will compete, including Ambridge, Blackhawk and Central Valley.
Then around 150 youths will participate in the camp on Thursday and Friday.
As usual, Dixon has lined up a staff of instructors which includes local coaches and former local athletes. Among them is Richard Mann, an Aliquippa native who spent 33 years coaching wide receivers in the NFL, including the last five with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Mann, who retired after last season, lives near Atlanta. But he’s returning to his Beaver County roots to once again take part in the Homeboys camp.
Steelers General Manager Kevin Colbert has also stopped by the camp several times over the past few years.
Another instructor will be Hannah Daman, a 2015 Central Valley grad who’s an all-star linebacker for the Pittsburgh Passion’s women’s football team.
The camp runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.
Brandon Hunt, a Steelers scout, will open the Thursday morning session with remarks. He will then time every camper in the 40-yard dash.