No phones, all ball at Yuma Catholic football camp
Yuma Catholic football gears up for the 2024 season with their football camp at AWC.
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Last season, Yuma Catholic came up yards short of a state title. This season, the Shamrocks are determined to go the distance and it starts with training camp.
"It gets them away from distractions," Yuma Catholic head coach Rhett Stallworth said. "We get them out of the house, get them away from girlfriends, away from the parents. We take away all the electronics, make them talk to each other, make them communicate, learn about one another, kind of bond, and come together."
Going away for camp is a Shamrock tradition and Coach Stallworth believes it gives his team a competitive advantage on and off the field come gameday.
"It just does," Stallworth said. "I don't know exactly 100% of what it does as far as it gives you a week, weeks worth of work. But you're able to pack that that work in. And it's much more productive work because there's no distractions."
The coaching staff takes each players phone and it forces every player in the program to bond face to face.
"It makes them start to learn a little bit about people, learn some things they probably wouldn't know about each other," Stallworth said.
The team holds two practices and a weight room session everyday, but for some the hardespart is not having their phone. Meanwhile, others embrace it.
"It's the worst," Yuma Catholic senior Sir Stokes said. "I need social media. You need to look at something TikTok, Instagram."
"Honestly, it's not that bad," Yuma Catholic senior Bodee Ford said. " You don't even think about it after a couple of days, so it's not bad. It's nice just not to worry about it either."
Beyond the growth the Shamrocks experience on the field, a brotherhood is forged.
"It helps us build camaraderie, like, by 100%," Ford said. "You're always together. You're always doing stuff. You're getting to know new people that you might not know before this."
"We're all like family," Stokes said. "You trust each other. We always have good energy that transfers to the field and to the weight room. everywhere to the game locker room.
Every year, the team caps off camp with a special team bonding event.
"We finish off with the talent show at the end of at the end of the week, to let them blow off steam," Stallworth said. "They get to make fun of coaches too, if they want to. There's no holds barred there."
The Shamrocks will open their season at Ricky Gwynn Stadium against Marcos De Niza on August 30.
