Creating a bond
ACHS football camp brings players, coaches and community together
By Stephen Dorman sdorman@theacorn.com

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers LISTEN HERE, BOYS- Camarillo High head coach Dennis Reidmiller, left, addresses his team following Tuesday afternoon's practice session. The players camped at ACHS Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

Being among 60 dudes crammed into a stuffy high school wrestling room may not sound like the greatest way to wrap up a summer vacation. But for Camarillo High senior running back Gary Glenn, this week's accommodations were just fine.

Sitting on a beach chair perched atop a twin mattress in the southwest corner of the ACHS wrestling room on Tuesday, Glenn surveyed the scene with the confidence of a training camp veteran.

"We've got our fridge. My buddy John brought that," Glenn said. "We've got the CD player . . . the air cleanser. We've got Guitar Hero here, Guitar Hero there. Madden. Halo. It's really everyone just having a good time."

And working their tails off.

For the fifth consecutive preseason, Camarillo head coach Dennis Reidmiller gathered his players and coaches together for consecutive days and nights of bonding and intense practice sessions.

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers BLUES BROTHERS- Scorpion seniors, from left, Joe Romano, Cameron Begue and Stephen Cook laugh out loud as they play Guitar Hero II on the first night of varsity football camp at ACHS.

The objective of the camp was to build team chemistry and work on football fundamentals, both on and off the field. Watching practice film late, getting up early for breakfast, taking the field multiple times for workouts, sleeping side by side with teammates- it was all part of the TuesdaythroughThursday package.

"Honestly, I believe this is the thing the whole team looks forward to the most all year," senior fullback/linebacker Matt Amerault said. "It's our chance to do everything as a team, and that makes it fun." Senior Armando Valenzuela, a three-year varsity lineman, said being confined to campus allows the team to narrow its focus to football.

During past camps, Camarillo has both taken advantage of and wasted the opportunity to unite and improve, he said.

"Even late at night, we're up talking football," Valenzuela said. "It's a good sign that we're talking about the upcoming season, plays, anything. Marcus (Sanchez), our quarterback, he's big on it. Football is all he talks about."

Reidmiller wants his guys to enjoy themselves, too, and he accomplishes that by mixing in games of egg toss or by hosting watermelon eating or singing contests. In past years, a coach has camped outside the wrestling room in an RV. This year the coaches in charge moved inside.

"When I took over the head coaching job in 2003, I decided I wanted to do something like this so the players could get to know each other better and build camaraderie," Reidmiller said. "It's been going strong ever since, and the players do seem to enjoy it and look forward to it.

"There's football going on, but there's a lot of fun, too."

Without a doubt, Reidmiller said, the highlight of the camp is the food.

Many local businesses contribute to the event by donating meals.

Olas Mex Grill, Burger Barn, Outback Steakhouse, Happy Bowl Express, Subway, Jersey Mike's Subs, Snapper Jack Taco Shack, Ottavio's Italian Restaurant, ME N Ed's Pizzeria, Chick-fil-A, Marie Calendars, DJ's California Catering, Schofield's Catering and Management and PDQ Engineering Inc. all made major contributions this year, the coach said.

Bob Davis, the owner of Outback Steakhouse in Oxnard, whipped up a massive spread Tuesday night. Davis has been cooking at the camp since its initial year.

"They said there would be about 100 people here, so we cooked for about 150 or 160 people," Davis said. "The good thing about this event is that I cook everything and it all gets eaten."

Without the restaurants' assistance and the volunteer parents, Reidmiller said the camp couldn't sustain itself.

"The people in this city are amazing," Reidmiller said. "The businesses that are giving this food are fantastic. They've donated to us, and we can't thank them enough for what they do.

"These guys eat like kings. That's the only way to say it; they eat like kings."

Scrimmage on Saturday

Camarillo will host its annual Blue and White game Saturday morning at 10 a.m. at ACHS. The offense will battle the defense in this full-contact matchup. Fans are invited to attend the free event.