Legendary coach Frank Beamer will be the highlighted speaker at Jason Baker’s Pro Football Mini Camp coaches clinic March 18 at Wayne High School in Fort Wayne.
The free coaches clinic, which will also feature breakout instruction sessions by members of the Indiana University football staff, serves as a lead-in to the ninth annual mini-camp for 6th, 7th and 8th-grade boys scheduled for May 20-21 at Wayne. Another section of the clinic – a panel discussion – will focus on promoting racial empathy.
Beamer guided Virginia Tech to a 238-121-2 record and retired with an overall record of 280-144-4 over a 35-year coaching career. Under Beamer, Tech football enjoyed unprecedented success with 23 consecutive bowl appearances – the longest current bowl streak recognized by the NCAA – four ACC titles, five ACC Coastal Division crowns, three Big East Conference titles, two major bowl victories, six BCS appearances, and a trip to the national championship game in 1999.
“I’m looking forward to meeting and talking with the fine coaches in the Fort Wayne area,” Beamer said. “The role of helping young people succeed on and off the field has to be one of the most important and rewarding, especially with some of the challenges facing today’s youth.”
Baker, a Wayne High School graduate and punter for 11 seasons in the NFL, said of Beamer: “We are excited to have Frank Beamer speak at our coaches clinic this year. In his time at Virginia Tech, he was one of the most respected coaches in the nation, known for his integrity, commitment to the principle of hard work, and loyalty to students, family and the university. We are also thrilled to have on hand members of the coaching staff at Indiana University – one of the truly up-and-coming college football programs in the nation.”
The coaches clinic, which is for area athletic coaches at all levels, is an opportunity for coaches to learn techniques, practice-planning and motivational skills that lead to making a positive impact on the lives of young people. It begins at 4:30 p.m. March 18 at Wayne. People can register at www.profootballminicamp.com
