Crandall ISD

The Crandall Pirates are holding their annual 7-on-7 football camp, giving young athletes a unique opportunity to develop their skills and engage with the high school football program. The camp, open to Crandall ISD 3rd-6th graders, is held on Mondays and Wednesdays over a three week period at The PIT, Crandall’s Pirates In Training facility. The final session will be April 9.

The camp drew an impressive turnout, with 115 students pre-registered but an actual attendance of 175 young athletes. The sessions were divided into two halves: the first focused on skill development, while the second allowed participants to put their training into action through a 7-on-7 game.

Head Football Coach Darrell Lewis emphasized the importance of the camp in strengthening the connection between the district’s youth and the Crandall football program. “This is an opportunity for our youth to be around Crandall football and for our athletes to give back to the community,” Lewis said.

The camp covered both offensive and defensive skills. Defensive drills included shoulder leverage tackling to promote safe techniques, pass defense fundamentals, and turnover drills focusing on agility and ball recovery. On the offensive side, young athletes worked on proper catching techniques from different angles and footwork fundamentals for skill players.

Coach Lewis was pleased with what he saw from the participants, especially those returning from previous camps. “We are very excited about what we see: the carry-over of drills from our young veterans that have been doing this for the past couple of years. The newer kids bring smiles and excitement about seeing The PIT and working with varsity players,” he said.

The camp also provided valuable experience for current Crandall High School football players who helped run the sessions. Many of them had once participated in similar camps themselves. “Half of our athletes took part in the experience when they were younger,” Lewis noted. “I always talk to the kids about having a servant's heart and learning to serve others.”

Crandall has more football opportunities on the horizon. The program will host its next youth football camp, the Little Pirate Camp, from May 27-29, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM.