NFL star hosts ProCamp at Scott AFB Published July 13, 2016 By Sean Clements 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Scott Air Force Base hosted the Proctor & Gamble Steve Smith Sr. ProCamp July 6-7. Overall, 125 children from the Scott community participated in the event held in the James Gym. Steve Smith Sr., five-time ProBowl nominee and wide receiver from the NFL Baltimore Ravens, hosted the event in coordination with ProCamp and P&G. With the help of local coaches and volunteers, Scott AFB children between the ages of 7-13 were invited to participate in the skills training mini-camp. “It’s about bringing football to them. We give every kid an opportunity to explore positions. Very rarely do you play football to discover which position you could play. It gives them the opportunity to discover who they are,” said Smith. Scott AFB was one of 15 Air Force bases selected to host the camp. Participating bases were selected through a contest held at base commissaries around the world. The Scott AFB commissary won the award through the use of creative visual advertising and sales of P&G products. Along with P&G’s priority to support military families, Smith particularly enjoys hosting the football camps on military installations. “I love doing it on military bases because some of these kids, especially the younger ones, all they see is the military. They are enclosed in their own little village. It gives the opportunity for the outside to come in. I get to be in an environment they’re comfortable in, on their field,” said Smith. Rod Huber, Army veteran and collegiate football coach at Mount St. Joseph University, started the camp with a speech emphasizing dedication and effort, not only in training, but also in life. Having traveled to military bases with ProCamp for nine years, Huber still enjoys the unique opportunity presented at Scott. “These kids move around quite a bit, so this gives them a chance to meet eight or nine new buddies. We are trying to create a network between them. Maybe they just got here this summer. At least they’ll know somebody when they go back to school,” said Huber. Maj. Darris Johnson, Air Mobility Command Program Manager, had a child participating in the camp. “He was pumped up to come here. He plays with the O’Fallon Little Panthers pee wee league, so he was ready to come out here,” said Johnson. Giving the children something to look forward to is one of the most rewarding aspects of the camp, according to Smith. “When they’re in class in the fall and spring, they’re thinking about what they’re going to do this summer. We get the opportunity to bring that fantasy to life,” said Smith. Huber gave praise to Smith for spending his summer traveling to teach these valuable lessons to children across the country. “Having a guy like Steve is great. He doesn’t have to be here. He does this because he loves it. That inspires me to give a little bit more on my end,” said Huber. Revealing the motivation for his enthusiasm and energy during the camp, Smith reiterated how important it was to honor our service members. “It’s about serving the people who serve us. It’s a reverse of roles, so I try to be all-in on it. I love it,” said Smith. As for the future of the P&G ProCamp program, Huber plans to continue for many years. “We’d like to expand our military program. We would love to go from 15 to 30 bases. That way, it’s 30 bases nationwide that have a professional player on their base for two days,” said Huber.