Myth and Risk of Live-Contact Summer Football Camps

We have heard it many times. 

Non-Contact blocking at
New York Giants Youth Football Camps

“My son is an experienced tackle football player.  To improve, he needs a full-contact, summer camp experience with live blocking and live tackling.”

We respectfully disagree.

So do hundreds of former NFL players, coaches, parents and young football players associated with Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants or Philadelphia Eagles Youth Football Camps.

During the months of June and July, non-contact football instruction is far and away the preferred format.  This applies to newcomers, flag players and even the most experienced tackle players.

Yes, even the most experienced tackle players are far better off training in a non-contact format during the months of June and July.

Here’s why:

June and July are months immediately preceding your tackle football training camp. 

In anticipation of August tryout camps, you should have two goals.

Goal #1:  Be sharp with respect to technique.  Technique is essential to good football and can be perfected in a non-contact format while staying healthy.

Goal #2: Be in top physical condition. 
Your strength, speed and endurance should be at a high point.

Non-contacting running back drills
at Packers Youth Football Camps

What will get you to these goals? 

First, when engaged in summer drills or training, you want to demonstrate perfect technique-- every single time.  This will establish proper muscle memory and develop a consistent technique.

Second, you want to develop speed, strength and endurance without the risk of injury. 

Now June and July are hot weather months. 

Hot weather accelerates fatigue.  Full equipment accelerates fatigue.  The physical battle of live blocking and tackling accelerates fatigue.  And if you are out of shape to begin with, it becomes an even bigger problem.

Consider the unintended consequences. 

First, you cheat and execute poor technique because you are tired, therefore establishing improper muscle memory.

Second, you become more concerned with out-muscling your opponent than executing proper technique.  While you may win that battle, in the long run you have not helped yourself as a football player.  Instead, you have established improper muscle memory.

Chicago Bears Youth Football Camps

Third, with hot temperatures and heavy equipment, you tire and lose concentration.  This significantly increases the chance of injury.   You could twist an ankle, tweak a hamstring or worse.  Injured players don’t make the team.   

So we ask, if you intend to improve your technique and fitness levels in order to enter your camp at full speed, is a live-contact camp worth the risk? 

We say the non-contact format is a much better choice.

Non-contact camps focus exclusively on developing skills and increasing fitness in a safe environment.

In a non-contact format, you recover from drills more effectively and therefore may demonstrate perfect technique during every repetition.   With perfect repetitions, the skills become engrained; you develop muscle memory and advance as an athlete.  Your posture, footwork, head and hand position is perfect every time.  And you are less inclined to cheat because you are focused on your own technique, not the size of your opponent. 

Additionally, you build your speed, strength and endurance with virtually no risk.   At a non-contact camp, you make football moves at top speed.  Again, you are building muscle memory and fitness levels.  The key difference is there is virtually no chance of getting run over, clipped or chopped unexpectedly, therefore suffering an injury that sets you back days if not months.

I hope this helps your decision making for summer football camps.

We will follow up with some testimonials from former NFL players and  coach supporting our position in the next week.


Tom Finks
Pro Sports Experience, LLC


Pro Sports Experience is the official management company of Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles Youth Football Camps.

Chicago Bears Youth Camps:  www.BearsCamps.com
Philadelpia Eagles Youth Camps:  www.EaglesCamps.com

New York Giants Youth Camps:  www.NYGiantsCamps.com

Green Bay Packers Youth Camps:  www.PackersCamps.com