SPOKANE, Wash. — Before the pads come on and the rivalries resume, Big Sky football players spent Saturday working toward a different goal.
Student-athletes from all 13 conference football programs gathered at North Central High School for the Big Sky Conference’s annual Youth Football Clinic, giving dozens of young athletes the opportunity to learn football fundamentals from Division I players.
For Big Sky Senior Associate Commissioner Jon Kasper, the event has become a staple of the conference’s football kickoff weekend.
“It’s really cool to come out and see the kids doing what they’re doing, having fun interacting with the great student-athletes we have and kind of giving back to the community a little bit,” Kasper said. “It’s a great way to start this weekend for us and our student-athletes.”
The clinic, held in Spokane since 2018, has become the conference’s signature community event leading into football media day.
“This is our big event for the kickoff to our football season,” Kasper said. “We’ve done it here in Spokane since 2018, and North Central High School has been kind enough to allow us to use the facility.”
With Eastern Washington and Idaho both located nearby, the location also allows fans from across the conference to connect with players.
“There’s probably kids who’ve been out to Red Field, have parents who are Eastern Washington alumni or University of Idaho alumni,” Kasper said. “You see a lot of Montana and Montana State fans here, too. It’s just a great location for us.”
For Idaho sophomore quarterback Joshua Wood, Saturday was a chance to experience the other side of an event he once attended himself.
“It definitely does bring me back,” Wood said. “Just being able to have that full-circle moment, being one of the kids out here learning from an older guy, whether it was a high school player, a college player or someone in the NFL. Now being able to come back and give back to the kids is really cool.”
Wood also enjoyed seeing conference rivals put competition aside for the afternoon.
“It’s definitely cool to see everyone from the Big Sky, every player from each team, just being able to give back to the kids,” he said. “Everyone has different knowledge, and being able to share that with each kid is really special.”
Eastern Washington defensive tackle Isaiah Perez could relate to the excitement on the kids’ faces after attending similar camps as a child.
“I remember when I was little going to a couple of Seahawks player-run camps like this,” Perez said. “It was really fun to get to see some of the players I got to watch on TV and hang out with them a little bit.”
Perez said spending the afternoon with local families also offered a welcome break before fall camp begins.
“It’s nice to be away from the work a little bit,” Perez said. “We’re still putting in work, but it’s nice to get a little break and hang out with friends and family during this time getting ready for camp.”
As players prepare to return to their campuses for preseason practices, Saturday served as another reminder of why they play the game.
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