By Chris Piltz
Stlouisrams.com

It wasn’t too long ago that Rams rookie linebackers Chris Chamberlain and David Vobora were making their first tackles playing for a youth football team. The memories of playing every position at least once and the feel of that first good “pop” are still fresh in their minds.

Knowing how important these adolescent ages are, the two took some time this month to visit the Junior Player Development (JPD) camp at St. Mary’s High School in St. Louis.

As they approached the field where the approximately two hundred kids were practicing, they noticed that at every station on the field the kids were hitting… and loving it.

“Those were the good ol’ days,” Vobora said as he approached a group of kids doing a hitting drill. “The days when practice was all fun and games and you were having so much fun, you didn’t even realize you were learning.”

When Chamberlain and Vobora got to the camp, they shook hands with a few of the coaches and then went right to the field to impart some wisdom. While Chamberlain was teaching a few of the future star linebackers the correct way to tackle, Vobora took the time to show a group of youngsters his favorite drill from his youth football days.

As the kids lined up to run the “Oklahoma” drill, you could see the anticipation in their eyes and when David yelled “HIT” it was like two freight trains colliding. Not because they were big kids, but because one of the Rams newest members was giving them the encouragement to give it their all.

At the end of the practice routines, the kids all took a knee around the rookies and listened as they both took the time to share their youth football stories and explain the importance of learning from their coaches. After they let the kids ask a few questions, they took some time to sign the kids’ jerseys as a little reminder that if you want something really bad and you put everything you have into it, everything is possible.

JPD was developed to provide a template for high school football programs, as well as additional access to youth tackle football.  The JPD program provides step-by-step instruction for every position to boys between the ages of 12 and 14 in a fun and engaging environment. The program integrates on-field skills development with life skills and character development.