DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - In just a few short months as the new Millikin University head football coach, Billy Riebock has made sure the team understands the importance of family.
The Decatur native and St. Teresa High School graduate has made an early impression, hosting their weekly "Big Blue Future Stars Academy". The camp brings together kids up to 13-year-old to learn the fundamentals of the game.
"The community in my opinion needs this," Riebock says. "There's a void for something like this and so now that's where we're trying to do our part."
Millikin's head coach says his first camp during his playing days was held on the same field when he was a Bulldog in high school.
While the program has gone through various changes over the years, its importance to Decatur families and their children has remained consistent. A fellow Bulldog and senior offensive lineman, Aiden Etchason, says he's happy to be a part of it.
"It's a lot of fun. The first thing that starts to get fans is to get people involved," Etchason says. "This is a good way to do it here. The kids are involved and we come out here to help them out and they see what we do. It's nice to be able to make relationships with the kids and the familes out here, so they can see us and we can meet them."
As Big Blue enters into a new regime, recruiting plays a pivotal role in the future success of the team. An element of importance for many young players is the sense that the role they play goes beyond the field.
"In just a few months that Coach Riebock's been here, I'm already feeling it with the guys on the team," Etchason adds. "Going out and doing community service, there's a real buy-in to the team and a buy-in to the community as well."
As the door opens for the future of football for the youngsters attending the camps, so does a new opportunity for Millikin to continue down the path leading toward success.
Big Blue's next season kicks off on September 6th.
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