On Jan. 13, 2024, Aliso girls flag football hosted a free camp available for sixth to eighth graders from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Aliso Niguel High School. Randie Baldwin and Tess Dodge have created these camps to improve the students who are new to flag football and interested in growing their skills.
The camp they held was one out of the four camps for this year. The other dates for this camp include March 2, April 13 and May 11, all from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m at the ANHS stadium. Seven players who are a part of the current flag football program help make sure the camp runs smoothly and enjoyable for everyone.
There were about 50 total girls that attended both the previous camp held in December and the camp held in January. All the girls were ready to make an impression and work hard. There were different stations of drills for different aspects of the game.
Coach Baldwin says, “We’ve really focused on fundamentals with flag-pulling, catching, throwing, route running and agility.”
She wants to ensure that all players have a good foundation and essential techniques that are important to the game.
Cambria Kaminski (10), a player on varsity who helped with the camp says, “At my station, we worked on aim with a fun game the kids loved.”
With Cambria’s station kids learned how to accurately throw a football in a fun way. Cambria thought being able to teach middle schoolers a sport that she is so passionate about was a great opportunity for her. Coach Baldwin and Dodge also value a positive environment along with great attitudes which brings plenty of fun to the Aliso program.
Cambria also says, “I loved meeting all the kids and getting to know them.”
With the possibility of playing with these players in the future, Cambria really focuses on making a bond and a strong connection with them.
Addison Rudel (9), who as well helped the kids at the camp says, “I saw many athletes gain more confidence throughout the camp and their improvement was great.”
Addison was on varsity this past season and was a great player. She thought that the camp was very beneficial and had such an encouraging environment.
She loved teaching and helping the younger kids while spending time with them and getting to know them better.
She even said, “Personally, I benefited from becoming a better leader and forming relationships with the players. They were all very sweet and had great growth.”
All of the coaches and players who got to be a part of the camp had such a fun time providing a safe place for growth and improvement.
Addison says, “We are looking forward to our future camps so we can continue to help the younger generation and keep growing the game of flag football.”
These camps that they are holding are to continue building Aliso Niguel’s flag football team so they can be ready for seasons to come. Their goal is to work with the incoming students as much as possible so they can have quality experience before entering high school.
