Bria Manning
DILLON — High temperatures in the Beaverhead Valley did not deter the hundreds of young football fans from flocking to Vigilante Field to participate in Atlanta Falcons linebacker and Dillon native Troy Andersen’s third annual youth football camp Tuesday afternoon.
Kids scrambled for the ball, cheered for their campmates when one caught the ball, dunked their heads in a cold bucket of water and did it all over again, all with the unending energy only a young football fan could have.
“I think how quick (the camp) fills up is a testament to Troy and who he is,” Beavers football coach Zach McRae said. “And it’s a free camp. He doesn’t have to do that. But more and more you’re seeing kids. I think it’s important to get involved. And our kids that are working it here are a product of Troy’s leadership.”
The range of athletes at Andersen’s camp was widely spread; not only were the high school athletes who were assisting in the camp football players, there were also players from the tennis, cross country and girls basketball teams as well.
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As for the camp participants, they came from as close as Waterloo and Three Forks to as far as Texas and Arizona. One kid from Arizona even said he wanted to be a Beaver.
“It’s a kid’s game,” Andersen said. “It really is. Football is what you play outside when its recess. It’s supposed to be fun. And I think I need to remember that a little bit as well. So I take that from the kids. I see them running around, having a blast with their friends.
“It makes me smile, and it makes me remember why I play, because it is a game and it is fun. So honestly, I probably learned more from them than I ever could teach them.”
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After camp concluded and kids began lining up for autographs, dark clouds rolled in and rain started to drizzle, but the autograph line kept moving. And when the rain began to pour, Andersen and a crowd of kids, trailed by their parents, ran to the nearby Beaverhead gymnasium to finish signing autographs.
Kids offered hats, water bottles, gloves, shoes, socks, hats, footballs, golf balls, trading cards, jerseys, arms and school folders. Andersen made sure each kid got an autograph while some got pictures with him.
“It’s awesome watching him have the success that he’s having, just watching him grow up as a human being,” McRae, who was an assistant coach when Andersen was a Beaver, said. “I think the things that he does on the football field are really special. He’s obviously got some pretty insane physical skills.
“But I think the man under the helmet is…he’s just a phenomenal human. He’s a guy that works his tail off every day and treats people with respect and does it the right way. And so he’s very easy to root for.”
Bria Manning is the sports editor of The Montana Standard. Follow her on X at @briaamanning or contact her at bria.manning@406mtsports.com
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