Editor's note: This story is part of Southwest Michigan's Second Wave's On the Ground Kalamazoo series.

KALAMAZOO, MI — Quantell Hines had to look carefully to find her 9-year-old son among the large group of youngsters at the end of the football field Saturday at Mayor’s Riverfront Park.

She hoped the running, jumping, and catching drills would help him do well as he starts playing youth football this fall. But she seemed a little nervous.

“He’s just starting football,” she says of her son Cai’ree Hines. “This is his first time playing any sport. He’s just starting with the Kalamazoo Vikings. So he wanted to join the camp today.”

Al JonesJohnnie Berry Jr., director of the Kalamazoo Police Athletic League and coach of the Kalamazoo Vikings youth football team, Saturday’s youth football camp is a way for kids across the city to get to know one another en route to playing.Johnnie Berry Jr., director of Kalamazoo’s Police Athletic League and head coach of the Kalamazoo Vikings youth football team, was happy to have him and several dozen other youngsters for this year’s Kalamazoo Youth Football Camp.

The free event provided some basic instruction in football for youngsters ages 6 to 14, as well as experience with teamwork and understanding what is expected in organized sports. Along with that, it included hands-on instruction from the coaches and players of the city’s two largest high schools.

Al JonesA coach helps a youngster do football drills at the Kalamazoo Youth Football Camp, held Saturday, Aug. 26, 2025 at Mayor’s Riverfront Park.The event was sponsored by Kalamazoo PAL and hosted by the coaches and players of Kalamazoo Central and Loy Norrix High Schools.

“When I first got the job with Kalamazoo PAL," Berry explains, "... I  talked to the chief (of the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety) and I told him I wanted to be able to build a system having four youth programs that feed into the four junior high schools, and that feed off into the high schools.”

With the support of the two high schools, he says he wants to help make Kalamazoo a football powerhouse.

Al JonesA coach helps a youngster do football drills at the Kalamazoo Youth Football Camp, held Saturday, Aug. 26, 2025 at Mayor’s Riverfront Park.“We’re trying to reach down and make sure everybody is learning the same thing," says Damion Coleman-West, assistant coach at Loy Norrix. "No matter if you’re from this side of town or that side, they’re all going to get the same type of football knowledge. That way, when they come to us, we’re not reaching for them, they’re just doing it.”

Referring to young people who see their neighborhoods as rivals, Berry says. “Also, what we’re trying to do is stop the division in the city — that Northside, Southside, Eastside crap."

Al JonesYoungsters from ages 6 to 14 lined up Saturday, Aug. 26, 2025 at Mayor’s Riverfront Park for the first annual Kalamazoo Youth Football Camp. “They’re going to go to the two high schools,” he says of young people who want to play football. “They’re either going to go to Loy Norrix or Kalamazoo Central, and so they might as well get to know each other. The only time there should be a rivalry is on Friday nights when you’re playing and everybody else’s family is out here.” 

Coleman-West says he wants young people to see the unity of the programs involved. But he also says the goal of Saturday’s camp for him was “for us to give back some of our knowledge from the high school to the youth. That way, they know what is expected from us when they come up (to the high school level).”

Al JonesJavon Miles, assistant football coach at Kalamazoo Central High School, left, stands with Damion Coleman-West, assistant football coach at Loy Norrix High School.Javon Myles, assistant coach at Kalamazoo Central, says he wanted to give some high school players a chance to give back to the community. Players from the Knights and the Maroon Giants high school teams volunteered to help put youngsters through training drills.

Mike Stanger, head football coach at Kalamazoo Central, says, “I’d just like to see the kids have a good time, get some football skills, get to see our high school kids from Loy Norrix and Kalamazoo Central mentor and be good role models to these young kids.”

Keeping them active

Referring to getting youth football better aligned with training at the junior high and high school levels, Stanger says, “Today is just an opportunity to get us all together and maybe get that idea, the talking of that idea, happening. It has to start somewhere. So hopefully, this is the place it starts.”

Al JonesA young football player spreads his arm as he prepares to do a long jump during the Kalamazoo Youth Football Camp, held Saturday, Aug. 26, 2025 at Mayor’sAs her son starts playing youth football, Hines says she looks forward to him becoming more active.

“I really want him to NOT be on that computer and phone and all that stuff,” the young mother says, “to get outside and make friends and socialize.”

She was not alone with that wish.

Al JonesA varsity high school plater helps kids do football drills at the Kalamazoo Youth Football Camp, held Saturday, Aug. 26, 2025 at Mayor’s Riverfront Park.“I try to keep them off that as much as possible,” Christian Coleman says of his two sons playing video games. “Electronics are draining them. It makes them less active.”
Both of his sons (Christian Jr. is 9 and Christian III is 8) played youth football a couple of years ago and are getting in shape to play again this year.

“I just try to keep them as active as much as possible,” Christian Sr. says. He says he tries to limit them to a few hours a day of electronic games and TV. What was his hope for them at Saturday’s camp?

Al JonesA young football player gets serious about clearing obstacles in one of several drills on at the Kalamazoo Youth Football Camp, held Saturday, Aug. 26, 2025 at Mayor’s Riverfront Park.“To just get the experience, meet new players, gain some insight on football," Coleman says. "They have played a few years. They’ve played soccer and basketball. I just try to keep them active.”
 
Adam and Jennifer Miller say their son Asher loves football and will be more active in it this year.

“He’s going to be doing Rocket this year,” Adam Miller says of his 8-year-old. “He just did flag this last season.”

Jennifer Miller expressed some concern, saying her son is kind of small. But she says he’s also kind of fast.

Al JonesYoungsters from ages 6 to 14 lined up Saturday, Aug. 26, 2025 at Mayor’s Riverfront Park for the first annual Kalamazoo Youth Football Camp. “I like watching him,” she says. “He loves it. So seeing him do what he loves is really awesome.”

She hoped Saturday’s camp would help boost his confidence, help him learn to interact with kids he doesn’t know, and help him learn new skills. His father says he hopes his son will have fun. “I’m not worried,” he says with a laugh. “He’ll be alright.”
Christian Coleman says he appreciates the free camp for kids. “It keeps them off the streets and out of trouble,” he says. “So I definitely appreciate that.”

He adds he believes free programs save a lot of kids.

“Me, growing up, we always had sports to kind of fall back on and keep us occupied,” Coleman says. “Sometimes (these days) it comes down to paying for programs … These are free programs, so everybody’s welcome and parents can drop their kids off, let them play football, play some sports, and go take care of business or whatever they got to do. Then get back to it. Come pick them up.”