Have you ever dreamt about playing football side-by-side with a Super Bowl champion? On June 23, more than 400 children were able to fulfill that dream by participating in the Russell Wilson Passing Academy.
Held at the Carter-Finley Stadium practice fields from 9 a.m.–2 p.m., the Russell Wilson Passing Academy (RWPA) is a football day camp created by NC State alumnus and Seattle Seahawk Russell Wilson.
Designed for both boys and girls between ages 8-17, the camp helps build skills for all football positions while also promoting the importance of physical and mental health in children.
“I love the game of football, but I love kids more,” Wilson said in an interview with WRAL Sports. “Just being around them, experiencing the joy they have in playing the game of football just like I did when I was a little kid.”
A typical day at camp includes warm-ups, throw arounds, drills, scrimmages and even a question-and-answer session with Wilson.
The camp is held in multiple locations across the country, including Raleigh; DeKalb, Illinois; Madison, Wisconsin; Seattle and Los Angeles. Wilson also travels to Canada to hold a session in Vancouver.
Since there are so few locations, families travel all over the country for their children to have a chance to train with a champion and learn the fundamentals of becoming a better football player.
Wilson said he holds his camps to a code of ethics, which is to “promote the mental and physical development of youth with the goal of encouraging kids to develop high character and moral standards, a sense of competitiveness and fair play, respect for authority, service to others and a love of God, family and country.”
Sponsors and organizations work with RWPA to provide scholarships to underprivileged and inner-city children who may not be able to afford the camp.
“I was never fortunate enough to go to a lot of camps,” Wilson said. “So for me, this is a great experience to try and lead and coach a lot of kids and be there for them and show them the direction that it takes to be successful and what life’s about.”
The camp has more than 100 workers and volunteers who help keep the camp running smoothly. Wilson recruits current and former players to work at his camps. Tuesday’s camp featured 12 current NC State football players, including senior quarterback Jacoby Brissett and senior running back Shadrach Thornton.
Earlier in the day, Wilson joined the Wolfpack at the Close-King Indoor Practice Facility, a new addition for the Pack since Wilson has attended NC State.
“I got to throw with those guys this morning,” Wilson said. “They look really, really good. Jacoby is doing a great job, and coach Doeren is a great coach.”
This will be the camp’s fourth year running, and with each year, the number of campers attending has grown tremendously. The next stop for RWPA will be Illinois, where Wilson will continue to exwtend his skills to another round of children and provide inspiration to the future of football.
