- April 19, 2024
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The free program takes place Saturdays, at Ralph Carter Park, in Palm Coast.
Larry Foote, a two-time Super Bowl champion linebacker on the Pittsburgh Steelers, taught aspiring football players to eat grapes Saturday, April 14, at Ralph Carter Park.
“Keep your arms up — like your feeding yourself grapes,” he told the group, some wearing flip-flops, other wearing cleats and Steelers jerseys. He was teaching them proper running techniques to conserve energy and increase agility.
Foote was in town to attend the youth football program put on each Saturday by the Palm Harbor Academy and the city of Palm Coast. The program is free to children ages 6 to 18. This was the sixth week of the program, which is overseen by Sam Sword, former football player at the University of Michigan and in the NFL.
The point of the program is to help participants improve speed, agility, explosiveness, quickness, conditioning and other skills.
“One element that is often overlooked is mastering fundamental movement,” Sword said. “Proper stance when starting and finishing drills will improve effectiveness and efficiency.”
Sword said about 25 kids come each day through the first six weeks of the program. About 75 were in attendance Saturday to get instruction from Foote.
“I am taking the approach that it’s a marathon and not a sprint to get complete community involvement and awareness,” Sword said. “The kids seem to really love the drills, and the parents are quite impressed with my instruction and my enthusiasm.”
Matanzas senior Shawn White, who will attend and play football at the U.S. Naval Academy in the fall, was in attendance Saturday.
After the drills, Foote took off his cleats and autographed them before giving them to White. The two will also play in a game of Madden — the football video game — sometime soon.
“How often do kids get to interact and workout with a professional athlete for free?” Sword said. “Larry is a great motivator and will continue to be involved with this program.
The second session will begin May 12. For more, call Sword at 627-6803.
Email Andrew O’Brien at [email protected].
