“Go!“

Two people sprint towards each other at full speed while a third throws a football directly in between them. As they converge towards one point, one of the sprinters grabs for the ball, while the second snatches it from the air at the last second.

Sacramento Press has already previewed the Game Plan Academy (GPA), and we've recently heard from the GPA's Brent Pottenger, who invited community members to attend the sports and education camp. But for those who missed it, this is what happened on Sunday, March 15.

All the students who came to Hiram Johnson High School showed up early Sunday morning, and their sense of enthusiasm to meet and run drills with professional athletes was permeable. Besides practicing football skills, the nearly 40 high-schoolers from eight local schools took diagnostic tests of math and writing skills and surveys about college and the expectations for the rest of their lives.

When John Fleming, football coach and athletic director of Hiram Johnson High School heard of the program, he jumped on the opportunity to volunteer the football field and classrooms at the school to the GPA team.

"I'm appreciative of [GPA] giving their time. It's real positive for the kids," he said.

"It's been really fun, and I'm very excited the [high school football] players showed up early, and showing they had enthusiasm," said Gio Carmazzi, one of the two football coaches who played quarterback for the San Francisco ’49ers. Carmazzi is joined in the program by his sister Veronica, the athletic trainer of the camp who evaluates injuries, and their brother Matt, an academic coach who brings a background in business administration.

Many parents sat in the parking lot in their cars seeking shelter from the rain while watching their sons work on quickness, strength and agility skills.

Paul Bennett, the parent of a Rio Linda High School student, was particularly proud to see his son attend the camp. "The addition of professional players is a good inspiration for the students to pull some knowledge from these guys," He said.

"I think the fact that [the professional athletes] are here and giving back to the community is great," said Tony Melton, father of another Rio Linda High School student.

"There's a lot of camps and programs that do nothing more than football, but the most important thing is academics, you know?" said Clarence Gandy, father of a Florin High School quarterback.

"It feels great joining this program, and it helps individuals get down the road I once took," said Alex Van Dyke, the other football coach, who played wide receiver for the Eagles and the Jets.

"If we had one kid, it would be great just working enlarging his work ethic, but it's a tremendous feeling doing this with a larger group. To have a function like GPA where we try to be inspirational, it can help fill a void in their lives" Van Dyke added. 

*Photographs by Anthony Bento