One of the camps that I did this summer was our American Flag Football Camp held in the Azrou-Ifrane area. We took about 30 kids (both boys & girls) from the desert regions of southeast and southern Morocco and took them north to the Middle Atlas mountains near Azrou. Combining those 30 kids with another 30 boys and girls from the Azrou area led to a great camp offering a new sport for the Moroccan youth that taught leadership, hard work, and team work.
The week consisted of intense morning runs, football skills practices, team practices, scrimmages, live games, and a final tournament day. The kids were also taken on field trips to Ifrane and Azrou to see the wild monkeys in the nearby forest and to go swimming. On the last full day, everyone played in an elimination tournament on a grassy, green field at the prestigious Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane. I mention a grassy field since most of the kids we brought from the desert only play on either dirt, sand, or cement. Playing flag football on actual grass was a big hit. Right when we stepped off the bus, many of the kids threw their shoes off and ran with total joy to the grassy field. Some kids even jumped to the ground and rolled around in what looked like some sort of “snow angel” performance in the grass. Needless to say, they were ecstatic to be there that day.
My Team
All week long, each counselor ran their own team, and I liked my guys a lot. If camp was a classic football movie, we would’ve been the underdog story. On tournament day, we played hard against a team with the biggest and best player at camp. It was a high scoring game, and we took the eventual champions of the whole camp to overtime after a 7 TD to 7 TD tie. Unfortunately we lost the game, but we gained a lot more that day in confidence, leadership, and teamwork. Not to mention pure fun.
Championship Game – Ifrane
Once good-byes needed to be said, the kids were quite upset to be leaving. In the ten-day camp, the kids formed close bonds and friendships with each other and with us. Thinking towards the future, we want to organize more American flag football teams/games in new towns and create another camp next summer.
After camp was over, Brittany (who was managing her own summer day camp) met me in Azrou, and we were off to El Jadida to take part in a wonderful English immersion camp just off the beach of the Atlantic Ocean.
P.S. Now I am definitely ready for college football and the NFL to start!
Until next time,
Nick
Of Marriage and Morocco 