Contact Football Camp Amherst College Amherst, Massachusetts
Entering our 37th summer in business, Contact Football Camps are known worldwide and have been called the finest instructional football camps in the United States by coaches, Pros and the media.
Entering his 19th season on the Amherst sidelines and 15th as head coach, E.J. Mills has been a part of 100 victories for the Purple and White. The Lord Jeffs have posted a 7-1 record three times and shared a NESCAC title twice under Mills, with the 2001 season marking the team’s first Little Three outright title in 14 years.
Highlights Include
- Individual Camp ages 8-18
- Grouping by age, weight and ability
- Contact Drills and Scrimmages
- Contact Football Camp T-shirt and Prizes
- Great exposure to college coaches
- Daily training to develop speed, strength and agility
Amherst College is approximately two hours from downtown Boston, two and a half hours from Logan Airport and three hours north of New York City.
Campers train daily on the home of the Lord Jeffs, Pratt Field. Over the years Pratt Field has evolved, reflecting the times with each successive modification. A press box was added in 1988, and the Neuhoff-Lumley Track was installed around the playing surface in 1989. Finally, prior to the 2000 season, Pratt Field received new bleachers on both sidelines, giving it the perfect mix of new and old.
Meet your coaching staff
Camp Director
E.J. Mills
Mills broke through in 2009 by leading Amherst to its first perfect season since 1984, marking the program's first win over Williams since 2004, its first win on the Ephs' home field since 1985 and its first outright NESCAC title. The postseason awards poured in for Mills, who was named the American Football Coaches Association Division III Region 1 Coach of the Year, Gridiron Club of Greater Boston Division II/III New England Head Coach of the Year and D3football.com East Region Coach of the Year. Mills was also the unanimous choice for the NESCAC's top coaching honor.
Contact Football Camps feature full contact drills and scrimmages with a staff of major college coaches and players. At camps "contact" is introduced in a slow, gradual progression before any actual "contact" is initiated. Campers are divided according to age, weight and ability.
The instruction (3 times a day) stresses both individual positions and team play with every camper. Thousands of our previous football campers played, or are now playing college football (many at schools represented by our coaching staff).
Rental Equipment
Campers need a full set of football equipment - helmet, shoulder pads, two jerseys (one light/one dark), pants and pads, football shoes (NO metal-tip cleats), athletic supporter, cup and mouthpiece. For campers without equipment, Contact Football Camp has equipment for rent prior to camp at $80 per set (helmet, shoulder pads, pants and pads) and $90 per set if rented on the first day of camp. Individual pieces of equipment are available at $40 per item.
HALF DAY MORNING SPECIALTY CLINIC - 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. (first morning) - $135
Quarterbacks – Personalized attention and instruction by our quarterback coaches. The focus of the instruction includes the following: leadership, passing techniques, drop-backs, quickness, footwork, speed and agility, ball handling, hand-offs, pitches and options, passing techniques, sprint-outs, bootlegs, rollouts and play-action, passing drills, grip, QB/center exchange, pivots, sprint-draw and play-action pass, progression for finding the open receiver, mental and physical preparation for playing QB, warm-up drills, reading coverages, secondary pressure, and audibles.
Wide Receivers - Personalized attention and instruction by our receiver coaches. The focus of the instruction includes the following: reading coverages, correct pass routes, working back to the ball, catching the ball at the highest point, catching the ball, following the ball to the hands, speed control, how to get open, spotting defensive coverages (man-to-man, zone and combinations), running drills, receiver drills, stance, release, patterns: out, post, hook, curl, post/corner, fade, in, fly, cross, etc.
Defensive Backs - Goals of the camp will be to teach fundamental skills, techniques, and reads needed to be a successful defensive back at all levels. Different defenses will be highlighted. The skills covered will include stance and starts, footwork, tackling, run/pass recognition, read and react, and secondary coverage.
HALF DAY MORNING SPECIALTY CLINIC - 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. (first morning) - $135, must sign up seprately for this progam!!!
Sample Daily Schedule
- Day 1
- 8:45 a.m. Clinic Campers Check In (Pratt Field)
- 12:00 p.m. All Skills Camp Check In/Rules/Orientation
- 2:00 p.m. Regular Camp Schedule
- Days 2-4
- 7:15 a.m. Wake Up/Stretch/Run
- 7:45 a.m. Breakfast
- 9:00 a.m. Practice #1, Offensive Emphasis
- 11:30 a.m. Lunch/Free Time
- 2:00 p.m. Practice #2, Defensive Emphasis
- 4:00 p.m. Day Campers Depart
- 4:30 p.m. Free Time/Dinner/Swimming
- 6:45 p.m. Practice #3, Competition
- 8:15 p.m. Evening Activities, Meetings, Speakers
- 9:00 p.m. Extended Day Campers Depart
- 10:00 p.m. Lights Out
- Day 5
- 7:15 a.m. Wake Up/Stretch/Run
- 7:45 a.m. Breakfast/Warm Up/Camp Recap
- 9:00 a.m. Games
- 12:00 p.m. Camp Check Out/Graduation
Week Long Camp Check In: - Sunday 12:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. for the All Skills Camp at Pratt Football Field. Opening Ceremony will be on the field at 1:30 and the first practice (full gear) will begin immediately following around 2:00 p.m. Parents are invited to watch.
Morning Clinic Check In: 8:45 a.m. on first day of camp at Pratt Football Field. Clinic will end at 12:00 p.m.
Graduation: Campers scrimmage in the morning on the last day of camp, beginning with the youngest campers. Youngest campers will be ready to check out by 11:00 a.m. and all campers should be finished and checked out by 12 p.m.. Parents are encouraged to attend the final scrimmages!
Outstanding Camp, Fantastic Coaches
Football camp was outstanding! Coaches were superb. A sports camp, especially football, could NOT have been better!!
After this camp, I can't wait for football season to start again!
This was my first overnight camp and I could not stop talking about it when I returned home. My love for the game was only reinforced when I had the opportunity to attend this camp. I felt that my skill level was increased and cannot wait until the football season starts to show others what I learned and also what they could learn by attending this wonderful camp. I look forward to next season. Hope all the coaches and players at Amherst College have a great season.
I learned so much...
I had a great time! I played the offensive and defensive positions that I wanted. Thank you! The coaches seemed tough at first, but in the end I learned so much. I really appreciate the time the coaches spent with me! I met new friends who will be coming back next year and so will I.
The campers included all ages
My son was the youngest camper at the Contact Football Camp at Amherst. Initially I was nervous about him participating, but the camp counselors made sure he was in a group with kids around his same size. He was easily immersed into the games/drills by all. The kids were great and he had a wonderful time. We will be sending him again next year.
Overnight Camper
Great Coach to Player Ratio
The coach to player ratio exceeded my expectations. It allowed more reps as well as individual attention to improve my technique at my position. The coaching staff was very knowledgeable and professional. It was rare to have so many Head Coaches of football programs participate in a football camp.