ITHACA, N.Y. -- Families, kids, and Cornell football all gathered together this past Saturday to participate in the first CUBS Camp. Braving some scattered sprinkles, the group put on a day of fun and fundamentals where members of the 2024 Big Red football team organized drills and stations to help teach kids 6-12 the basics of the sport on the backdrop of the historic Schoellkopf Field. Organized by junior linebacker
Ben Sahakian and senior defensive lineman Max Van Fleet, the duo recruited the help of over 20 of their teammates and coaches to put on the clinic.
"Hosting CUBS Camp this past Saturday was an absolute blast," said The Roger J. Weiss '61 Head Coach of Cornell Football,
Dan Swanstrom. "It was incredible to see so many 6-12-year-olds and their families out on the field, enjoying football and being a part of our Cornell Football family. It was a wonderful community event, and we're already looking forward to the next one."
"It was such an honor having the opportunity to pay it forward to the kids in the community," said Sahakian. "Seeing them have fun doing the sport we love is exactly what we needed going into fall camp."
"Thank you to all the parents and campers who made Saturday possible," said Van Fleet. "Despite the weather, we had a blast as players and can't wait for next year! Here's to building something bigger and better together for next year. We hope to see some of the faces we met at Schoellkopf this season for home games!"
The day began with introductions from the players and a welcome address from Coach Swanstrom. The kids were then sent off in groups to participate in six different stations, including a pylon relay, a tackling dummy drill, a moving target drill, a 1v1 two-hand touch station, a photo-op area, and a dunk tank. Senior defensive lineman
Muhammad-Ali Kobo earned the crown for most time spent in the water at the dunk tank station. After rotating to each station, the group returned to the top of the Crescent for ice cream and player autographs.
