Here’s a recipe for a great event: Take a perfect summer day, add almost 200 kids with energy to spare, throw in a bunch of coaches, sprinkle in some tire-shaped things, tackling dummies and other assorted pads, and top it off with two NFL players.
That’s what makes the Ryan Ramczyk Lineman Camp (RRLC) so special – and why is felt so good to have the camp return to Stevens Point in June.
Beyond the perfect recipe there are some other reasons why the camp has been a go-to event for young football players and their parents. Here are some of them:
It’s welcoming
You don’t have to be a lineman to attend the lineman camp. This year there was at least one quarterback/defensive back and several running backs and linebackers.
You also don’t have to be a man or boy. Girls are welcome, too – and at the grade-school/middle-school session one girl was out there tackling the tires with the boys, and not holding anything back.
It might be because people who play the line are underappreciated to start with, but whatever the reason, the lineman camp is open to just about anyone, regardless of position, body type, gender, or anything else.
In football in particular, that’s pretty special.
It’s fast-paced
There’s not a lot of down time at the RRLC. Drills keep moving at a bang-bang pace, and when one drill’s over, campers head to the next drill with just a quick water break.
A lot of the credit for the high energy level goes to the coaches, who keep the enthusiasm up, encourage the campers, and stay positive throughout.
Stevens Point Area Senior High School (SPASH) and UW-SP coaches were a tremendous help as they reinforced Ryan’s love of the game at every turn.
There aren’t a lot of events aimed at linemen
As mentioned earlier, linemen tend to be the forgotten people in football. Running backs, quarterbacks, and wide receivers get all the glory on offense; on defense, the pass rushers, linebackers, and pass defenders get the headlines.
Ask any football coach, though, and they’ll tell you nothing happens if the big folks up front don’t do their jobs.
Despite that, there are relatively few events aimed at helping blockers block and nose tackles shed blocks and get into the backfield.
For that reason alone, the RRLC is special. And for the players who have taken on the often thankless task of playing on the offensive or defensive line, it’s nice recognition that their job is important and their skills can be developed.
The people behind it are genuinely nice people
Spend some time with Ryan Ramczyk and his running mate for this year’s camp, Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Tyler Biadasz, and you discover they’re great people.
The RRLC would never have come to be if Ramczyk didn’t believe in giving back to his hometown, and this year’s event was doubly special because of the presence of Biadasz, who simply said “sure” when Ramczyk asked if he wanted to be a part of this year’s camp.
It’s really affordable for what you get
It’s also cool that the RRLC is a real value. While many half-day camps top the $100 mark, the 2022 RRLC came in at $71 – a bargain for the opportunity to get top-notch coaching and to interact with real NFL players … including an All-Pro.
The good news on that front is that barring a major disruption the RRLC will be back in 2023, offering football players from around the area a unique opportunity to get tips to improve their skills from one of the top players in the game.
Thank you, Ryan and Tyler, thanks to the all the sponsors and coaches of the RRLC, and thanks to the campers. See you next year!
View a full gallery of the day on the Stevens Point Orthopedics Facebook page.
Sponsors:
