Although practice does not officially start until mid-August for middle-schoolers, area athletes got the 2025 football season underway with the Iola Middle School Football Camp.
More than 40 gathered at the practice fields outside of IMS for Monday’s first day of camp, sandwiching the fundamentals of football between activities emphasizing physical conditioning, as well as slowly implementing offensive and defensive schemes for the upcoming season.
“It was a great start,” IMS coach Scott Ellis said. “I told the kids that if they know some guys that aren’t here, then they need to get them here.”
Following a strong finish to the 2024 season, including the seventh-grade team falling to Burlington in the Pioneer League championship game, Ellis hopes to pick up right where the Mustangs left off last season. With the good attendance, he hopes to add more players throughout the week as word of the camp gets out.
“We started with the fundamentals and expectations for the upcoming season,” Ellis said. “We’ll be spending time learning a stance, whatever the position is, and how to get off on and off the ball. We’ll get started on the playbook and the formations we’ll use this season.”
Although aiming for a strong start to 2025, Ellis also believes preseason camps allow coaches to foster a love of the game with their athletes. After all, a strong season is one thing, but building a foundation for future area football dominance requires inspiring a love of the game.
For a lot of the students, the camp is their first exposure to the fundamentals of the sport.
Jaxon Bernsten carries the ball during team drills at Monday’s IMS football camp.
“The kids are just learning, so we’ll start at the beginning,” Ellis said. “We’ll teach them the numbering system. How to carry a ball, how to run a route — all of that stuff. It’s fun to get them started in their career. Now, they’re not doing rec. They’re in KSHSAA activities and there are going to be different expectations.”
Ellis encouraged campers and those not taking part in the camp to continue attending the offseason strength and conditioning program. The first day of practice takes place when school begins August 14.
