Retired NFL player Walter Harris will host a free football, leadership camp in Immokalee
Retired professional football player Walter Harris will host a leadership and football camp dedicated to teaching youth about life skills on and off the field.
The free camp will kick off on May 27 at 9 a.m. at Immokalee High School located at 701 Immokalee Drive, wrapping up at 5 pm. Middle and high school age boys are encouraged to come out. Lunch will be provided.
Walter Harris, founder of Official Pro Players, said the goal of his nonprofit is to bring professional athletes together from all sports to get involved in the community.
“I realized the importance of our platform and the influence that we all have coming from the football profession and how it can make a huge difference,” said 48-year-old-Harris. “Signing an autograph or showing up to an event can make a difference to a child. I’ve always wanted to work collectively with other professional athletes to try and better the community."
Harris spent 13 years in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Chicago Bears as the 13th overall draft pick in the 1st Round of the 1996 NFL Draft. Throughout his career he played for the Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts, Washington Commanders, and San Francisco 49ers.
Under the Official Pro Players umbrella, Huddle 27 a mentoring initiative, was born. The all day camp features an all male-lead panel discussion. Following is a lunch with professional athletes. Justin Lawler, Tennessee Titans; Orson Charles, former Cleveland Browns, and James McKnight, former Miami Dolphins attended the camp last year.
Harris said Huddle 27 was created last year as a means to fill a void.
“Over the years I’ve seen an increase in the need for more male mentorship,” he said. “It was placed on my heart to create this initiative. I’ve seen many camps over the years offering help on the field. One of the things that is truly lacking today is having male figures in the community be able to pour into them (youth) and make more of an impact in their life off the field. Our young boys are struggling right now. They're dealing with mental health issues, gang violence and so many other issues because of the lack of a male presence.”
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Harris said timing plays an important role in mentoring youth.
“We have to reach them at an early age,” said Harris. “If we can get them early, we believe that our young boys will be a lot stronger and healthier mentally. They will also be able to help better our communities.”
Joe North, managing partner of The North Law Firm in Fort Myers, is listed on the roster to speak.
“I was thrilled that Walter Harris asked me to speak at the camp,” said North. “He’s doing a great job teaching kids how to navigate life on and off the field. I’m glad to be a part of it. Last year I spoke about the importance of having the right people in your huddle. Who you have in your huddle is very important, not just in terms of teammates. Having the right family, friends, mentors and people who can teach you as well as you teaching them is important.”
For more information on how to volunteer or on the football camp visit the website https://huddle27.com/
Erica Van Buren is the underserved communities reporter for The News-Press and Naples Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Connect with her at EVanBuren@gannett.com or on Twitter: @EricaVanBuren32
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Retired NFL player Walter Harris will host a football camp on May 27
