Some Upcoming Cal Events

Hey all,

As we pass the football solstice (4 months since the end of the football season, and 4 months until it begins), the amount of football news will be lacking. But fear not loyal readers, I’ve got plenty of Cal football blogging goodness in the next few weeks.

With that said, there are a couple of nifty California Golden Bear football events coming up.

In one of the more interesting annual Cal sports events, in June, it’ll be time for the Cal Football Camp. There are various camps that are available for people of all ages to learn football fundamentals and techniques. The Men’s Fantasy Camp provides the following description:

CAL MEN'S FANTASY CAMP
Saturday, June 7 9:00am-5:00pm (Social to Follow)
AGES: 21+
PRICE: $300

The Cal Football Men's Fantasy Camp is a one day camp that gives men 21 years and older an opportunity to participate in a wide range of non-contact football drills while having a great time with friends and fellow Cal Fans in historic Memorial Stadium. The camp will include lunch, two practices, video sessions and a post-camp social including stadium snacks and beverages. Each participant will also receive an official Cal Team Sweatshirt.

During each practice, campers will rotate through a series of position specific stations coached by the Cal Football Staff. Following a morning of fundamentals review, the afternoon practice will present campers with an opportunity to compete in various one-on-one situations in a game-day simulated environment (including simulated crowd noise!).

Come experience the thrill of running out of the North Tunnel as you take the field behind Coach Jeff Tedford for a day of lifelong football memories!

You can get more information here

I always thought this would be kind of fun. The price tag is a little steep, but I’ve heard nothing but good things about the event. You get a chance to get coached by some Cal football players AND coaches, and have the chance to work out at Memorial Stadium. And anything that comes with free food and a free hoody is always a plus.

Check out a couple of reader reviews from some forum posters at Scout’s Cyberbears.org.

DCW67MSW wrote:

“Went last year & had a great time. The coaches & the many players are enthusiastic & my high light was getting tips on passing from none other than JT. There is an emphasis on teaching technique by the coaches/players. After lunch, there's also a simulated game after an offensive/defensive instructional session.It's a hoot to run through the tunnel after being fired up with a "go get them" speech by a spirited player. The simulated game is spirited & being in my 60's I got after it without getting hurt. I did use common sense & skipped the opportunity of catching a mile high punt from Nick Harris. The food is good & the beer cold & you get a sweatshirt & an autographed picture with yourself & JT. The players go out of their way to talk with you & make you feel comfortable. A must for any Cal football fan!”

Calcoholic wrote:

This is an MUST for any serious Cal Football fan. I know that sounds like an infomercial or something, but seriously, it was a BLAST last year and will make your whole season more interesting.

The entire coaching staff attends, plus I would say about 2/3's of the players attended last year. It is such a good opportunity to hang out with the players and get to know their personalities. Then when they do something good in a game later in the season, you feel like you know them. All the players were super nice. Here we were, a bunch of retarded old men, and these players would cheer for us and get all excited when we made any kind of half-decent play. You could tell they were all having fun . You could also tell they just love hanging out with each other.

I've been trying to get my friends to go this year, but some of them are concerned that they "didn't play football in high school," or are "just not that coordinated." Trust me, ZERO skills are needed at this camp. It's just about going out there and having fun.”

Anyway, I totally just sold this camp, but we’ll see if I go since $300 is a bit pricey. And as cool as it might be, a part of me does feel like I’d be a bit dorky if I went. Who knows…

Coming up more quickly is the Coaches Tour 2008.

Jeff Tedford and newly hired Men’s Basketball coach Mike Montgomery, along with Athletic Director Sandy Barbour will be making their way through California, stopping at 7 NorCal and SoCal restaurants to discuss their respective programs, as well as the state of the athletic program. You can find more information here on the official Cal Sports Website

Sounds pretty cool, although I’m not sure how much it costs. Space is limited, so I’ll see if I can make it to the Back Forty one since I love me some ribs and some Cal Sports.