Players at the All-Poly Camp get to work on skills that they otherwise don't get time to enhance during the high school season.
Photo by John Coon
All Michael Pepe Tanuvasa wanted was a second chance to prove himself.
Tanuvasa made the trek from Oregon last spring to attend the All-Poly Camp in this town for the chance to showcase his skills before dozens of college coaches. He returned home feeling dissatisfied with his performance in the camp. Tanuvasa vowed to return to the All-Poly Camp again this summer and give himself a second chance to make a good first impression.
He was all smiles when the camp ended with him as an outstanding player at his position group.
What else made the journey worthwhile? Valuable football instruction the
Southridge (Beaverton, Ore.) linebacker received from top college coaches participating in the football camp.
"It really helps me to learn new techniques and to get a feel for what it's like in college," Tanuvasa said. "What the drills are like and what the coaches are looking for especially. I came in hoping if I do well, maybe I'll get on their radar."
The All-Poly Camp was founded by Alema Te'o 15 years ago as a way to help Polynesian players in Utah polish their football skills so they could get more attention from college coaches. Since that time, it has grown into an elite summer football camp in every sense of the word.
The 2014 edition of the All-Poly Camp drew approximately 110 college coaches and 450 high school athletes of all races from Utah and multiple surrounding states for three days of instruction.
The full-padded camp featured respected college coaches like Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, Wisconsin coach Gary Andersen, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, Washington coach Chris Petersen and USC coach Steve Sarkisian in attendance. Players came to the camp from as far away as Hawaii.
For athletes that make the trip from surrounding states, few other camps can compare to the experience of learning at the All-Poly Camp.
"The atmosphere is electric," said T.J. Gotelli, a wide receiver from
Tokay (Lodi, Calif.). "Everything is high-tempo. It's all on a pace that most high school teams don't work at. It's a very emotional camp. You have to bring your 'A game.'"
Players embrace the camp because it offers a chance to work on aspects of their game that don't get as much emphasis in high school practices. They get to see what details are important to college coaches and they gain a better understanding of what they need to do to improve to get to the next level.
"They helped me with a lot of the little things," said
Brighton (Salt Lake City) quarterback
Robbie Hutchins, one of the top performers at quarterback in the three-day camp. "In high school, they're always trying to put in plays and focus on big things like that. Coming to a camp like this, these coaches are offering little intricate details that help you a lot in your game."
Receiving instruction from multiple college coaches at the camp isn't just a way for athletes off the radar to get noticed. It's also a great tool for highly prized recruits to polish their skills.
Brighton linebacker
Osa Masina, who is widely considered the top Utah recruit in the Class of 2015, attended the All-Poly Camp and earned recognition as an outstanding player at his position. Masina didn't just go up to Layton because of his Samoan background. He also attended because he knew that the coaches there could give him new perspectives on everything from his footwork to pass coverage.
"You're never as good as you think you are," Masina said. "That's why you have got to take and learn everything you can from these coaches."
The skills players learn and polish while participating the All-Poly Camp are one factor that will help the camp maintain its status as an influential full-padded summer camp for many years down the road.
John Coon covers Utah high school sports for MaxPreps. You can reach him at john_coon@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter at @johncoonsports
