WS Chronicle

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BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY 

THE CHRONICLE

Former Carver High School Football standout Chris Hairston will host his first football clinic on July 15 -16 at Carver High School, 3545 Carver High School Road, for children ages 6 to 15.

The registration fee for the clinic will be $20 per child. The clinic will focus on football development and emphasize the importance of education.

Hairston grew  most of his life and gained interest in football by being around his family and neighborhood friends, who had a deep love for the game. Hairston is an offensive lineman who currently plays for the San Diego Chargers. The Buffalo Bills drafted him in 2011 after being a stand out athlete for the Clemson Tigers.

He was a stud offensive lineman for Carver High School and was named first team All-State while playing there.  He chose Clemson over schools such as South Carolina State and Hampton University. While at Clemson, he was named First Team All-ACC his senior year, in 2011.

According to Hairston’s good friend Andrew Church, who helped organize the clinic, they decided to put it on not only for the city but to give back to the high school they attended and the area that raised them.

The organizers wanted Carver alums who have played on the collegiate level to help run the camp because they have the knowledge about the game to share and give back.  They felt as though a football clinic at Carver was well overdue and thought that Chris would be the perfect person for the task.

“I just wanted to do something back at home where we could get the Carver community and the rest of Winston-Salem out to have a good time and to learn from each other,” said Hairston.

During the camp the kids will concentrate on the fundamentals of the game, such as proper techniques of stance, foot-work and proper mechanics.  They also want to stress the importance of proper guidance, because it develops confidence. Academics are very important to Chris, and he does not want the kids to lose sight of excelling in the classroom as well.

The plan is to make the camp an annual event and to have the camp grow each year. The organizers want to focus on making the camp as solid as possible the first time out, then add new, creative ideas as the camp progresses.

“The major point we want the kids to take from this camp will be its not just running drills and competing; we really want to emphasize the importance of education,” Church said.  “Chris is an example of taking care of his books first, then taking care of business on the field.  Our goal is to make a positive difference in the lives of our youth.”

Hairston said: “Don’t take too much time to look at what you’ve done and always look to how you can build your future.  The game of football is a game that can give you a lot but in order to earn it you must set your mind to it and take care of your business in the classroom.”

For more information on the camp, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/first-annual-chris-hairston-football-clinic-tickets.