UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Head coach Bill O'Brien and the Penn State football staff will welcome high school players from across the nation to the Nittany Lions' 38th annual summer football camps, which get under way Saturday, June 2.
Penn State will offer five football camp opportunities in June, including two advanced skills camps, in addition to position, youth and kicking camps. The Nittany Lions' coaching staff will be joined by some of the nation's best high school and college coaches to provide professional instruction during the camps.
More than 2,000 players annually attend Penn State football camps, making it one of the most successful high school football camp operations in the country. The instructional sessions are held at Penn State's expansive grass and artificial turf fields, or in case of inclement weather, in the Nittany Lions' indoor facilities, including Holuba Hall.
Penn State football camp information, including online registration forms, can be found at http://www.pennstatefootballcamps.com or GoPSUsports.com/camps online. Interested individuals also can contact the Penn State Sports Camp office at 814-865-0561 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
The advanced skills camps will be held June 2 and 16 and are open to athletes entering 11th or 12th grade this fall. The camp is designed for experienced high school players who want to elevate their skills in preparation for their upcoming season and playing football beyond high school. The camp's primary focus is on position-specific skill and technique development.
The Penn State kicking camp is June 17 and open for athletes entering eighth through 12th grade this fall. The camp is designed for kicking specialists looking to learn or improve their skills in placekicking and punting. Each player will receive instruction in specific drills and techniques through on-the-field and lecture sessions. The Penn State coaching staff, assisted by former Nittany Lion placekickers and punters, will provide the instruction.
The Penn State youth camp will be held June 24 and is open to students entering grades four through seven this fall. The camp is designed to teach basic fundamentals in all positions, creating a strong foundation as an athlete progresses in his football career. Besides both offensive and defensive fundamentals, agility, balance, movement, speed enhancement, conditioning, hydration and sportsmanship will be highlighted.
The Penn State position camp is set for June 28-30 and also is for athletes entering grades eight through 12 this fall. This camp is designed to give players the opportunity to enhance basic football-related skills, while also learning individual football techniques and fundamentals. In addition to O'Brien and the Penn State staff, top high school and college coaches from across the country will provide instruction. Through lectures, demonstrations and drill sessions, camp participants will receive position-specific skill and technique development.
2012 Penn State Football Camps:
-- June 2 – Advanced Skills Camp I
-- June 16 – Advanced Skills Camp II
-- June 17 – Kicking Camp
-- June 24 – Youth Camp
-- June 28-30 – Position Camp
Penn State returns 36 letterwinners and 10 starters for the upcoming season (five offense, four defense, one specialist), as well as 17 players that have starting experience. The 17 additional players with starting experience have a combined total of 78 starts (44 defense/34 offense) among them.
Season tickets are available for the 2012 season, with the Nittany Lions playing host to five teams that played in bowl games last year. Penn State will host Ohio State (Oct. 27), Wisconsin (Nov. 24-Senior Day), Northwestern (Oct. 6-Homecoming), Indiana (Nov. 17), Navy (Sept. 15), Temple (Sept. 22) and Ohio (Sept. 1) in Beaver Stadium this fall.
For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and purchasing season tickets, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can go to http://www.GoPSUsports.com or call 800-648-8269 (800-NITTANY) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. The pricing of 2012 Penn State football game tickets and accompanying donation levels is the same as in 2011.
Penn State Athletics is on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pennstatenittanylions and Twitter at http://www.gopsusports.com/ot/twitter.html online.