Impressions from Camp

Nearly 15,000 student-athletes from 32 states, Canada and Singapore have attended Lauren´s First and Goal football camps in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida.

Players, parents and volunteer coaches share their thoughts on the LFG camps held at Lafayette College and Otterbein University.

What Players Had to Say...

• I wanted to say thank you for the chance to attend the Lauren´s First and Goal camp on Sunday. I felt that I had a great camp and learned a lot from all the great coaches you had there. But it was even better to be part of something that does so much good for people. When I saw all your players there helping out, I could only think that it would be great to be there like them to help out someday. - Andrew Terlingo, Southern Lehigh
  
• I had a great day and learned a lot about football and also about myself. I met a lot of kids from all over the country and went head-to-head with them. Some of the coaches showed me some nice moves. My mom passed away when l was two and my dad is very sick. It was nice to put a smile on his face. It was a win for everyone who attended. Thank you, and thank you to Lauren. - Nicholas Mitala, Hamilton High West, Hamilton, N.J.
  
• Thank you for a great camp. I lost my grandfather to brain cancer 3 years ago and I find myself thinking as I play what he would think of my success and failures. I was third row and watched as Lauren came to the microphone to speak. I felt the strength in her voice and I knew then that she had touched my heart making me a better person. God bless you and your family for all the giving that you do. - Christian Brown, Lexington High School, Lexington, Ohio
  
• I had an amazing time at LFG that far surpassed my expectations. Even with 1800 guys the drills and coaching taught me new fundamentals and helped me gain an edge for the upcoming football season. Talking to players from across the region and nation, it became clear that football is not only a sport played on a 100-yard field, but also one that encompasses all aspects of life, all the way to pediatric brain cancer research. - Dan Sergeyev, Central Bucks High School West, Doylestown, Pa.
  
• Thank you for the great camp experience you provided this past Sunday at Otterbein. The best coaching clinic/day camp I have been to. Your team did a great job and I appreciated it a lot. I was one of the fortunate ones that got to personally talk to your daughter, and made the experience even more memorable as she is an inspiration. - Marcus Keeran, Liberty Union High School, Baltimore, Ohio

What Parents Had to Say...

• Thanks so much for a fantastic experience. What could be a better Father´s Day than going to a football camp with one´s son and contributing to a great cause? Your organizational skills to pull this off in a day are amazing. The work and attitude of everyone involved was outstanding. From the opening instructions, the recruiting session for parents, Lauren, Coach Meyer and the camp itself is something my young son will never forget. All of this and he also got to work at the game he loves, what more could one ask for? Thanks for a great, great day...we can´t wait till next year. - Mike Marshall, Delaware Ohio
  
• We attended Lauren´s First and Goal Charity Camp yesterday with our son, Greg. It was our first time at this event, which Jeff Dinnocetti told us about. We are so glad he did. We were overwhelmed by the outpouring of goodwill throughout the day. This included the volunteers at the registration tables, the speakers, the coaches for the punters and kickers, the volunteers in the green t-hirts who helped with any questions we had during the day and other parents. We were also impressed with the number of colleges represented by the volunteer coaches that were there! We ppreciated the recruiting information provided, as well. Greg got a lot out of the training and enjoyed the friendly competition between the kicking campers. This was a first class and well organized event that accommodated so many campers. - Kevin McDonough
  
• I wanted to reach out and personally thank you for having the drive, dedication and passion to keep the LFG clinics going. My son attended his first LFG clinic at Otterbein and what an honor it was to have him associated with such a worthy cause for your daughter Lauren. She is such a beautiful, strong individual, it was such an honor to hear her speak yesterday. You have a fan for life and my son will be attending the LFG´s going forward! As a high school football coach myself, I was able to walk around and meet many of the coaches and learn new drills. It was as much a “coaches clinic” for me as it was a QB camp for my son. - Casey King, Buckeye Valley High School, Ohio
  
• Over the Christmas break, my son Bernie gave his verbal to the U.S. Naval Academy. Bernie, I can assure you, never received one bit of interest from Navy before the LFG Camp. It was Mike Judge that noticed him during the lineman 1 on 1´s and began talking to him and eventually myself and my wife. Bernie, being only 6´2", found his dream of playing Division 1-A football quickly evaporating from his reach. The LFG Camp at Lafayette Campus IS THE REASON that his dream came true. - Bernie Sarra, Monessen, PA

What College Coaches Had to Say...

• Kudos for the great job you and the entire Lafayette College community (as well as the town of Easton) do with your camp. Very impressive organization as well as a very diverse
  and talented coaching staff makes it something very special. Glad I came and witnessed firsthand the
  great work you and charity are doing. - Al Bagnoli, head coach, University of Pennsylvania
  
• I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciated the opportunity to be a part of your cause and to contribute in some small way. It was an inspiration to me to keep finding different and unique ways to impact and change the small world each of us lives in. I look forward to continuing to be a part of the camp and assisting in any way I can. Good luck this fall. - Chad Wilt, assistant coach, Ball State University
  
• Otterbein University did an extraordinary job of hosting Lauren´s First and Goal camp. This will grow into being one of the fine camps in all America, and for such a wonderful cause. I am so pleased I was asked to participate in its beginnings here in Ohio. - Jim Tressel, head coach, Ohio State University