Jesup, Ga. () — T.Y. McGill always remembers where he came from. The Wayne County native who played for the Seattle Seahawks held his 6th Annual free youth football camp on Saturday.
The camp, which caters to boys and girls aged 6 to 18, offers them an opportunity to learn football basics from a pro athlete. However, the children gain much more than just skills. McGill explains that his camps are a way to give back to his community. “When I was growing up, I didn’t have anything like this. After joining the NFL, I saw my football colleagues organizing similar camps in their hometowns. Eric Walden in Doublin, Georgia invited me to his camp, and I thought, ‘I need to bring this to Jesup.’ Keeping this camp running each year has been the goal.”
Although the camps led by McGill are “touch-free”—meaning the kids don’t engage in contact football—he ensures there is sufficient physical activity to keep them active. “The primary aim is to have fun, but there’s also an element of ‘work.’ I want to teach the kids perseverance, how to continue pushing when they’re fatigued.”
These are lessons McGill says helped him succeed and he lessons he wants to pass on to the kids in his hometown. “When fortune comes to you, you should pass it on. It’s about being able to give back. Being able to see smiles on these kids’ faces. That’s the end goal: get them fed, have fun and this is something they will remember.”
Saturday’s camp was presented by McGill’s “T.Y. McGill Foundation.” The foundation is committed to transforming the lives of young people by empowering them with important support services and programs that will help them rise to their potential.
