As nearly 60 kids gathered on the Oglethorpe County High School football field last Saturday, South Carolina State defensive tackle and 2022 OCHS graduate KB Bonds asked if anyone had questions.
One camper looked up at the 285-pound Division I lineman: “Do you have a scholarship?”
Bonds smiled and replied, “Yes.” The group of kids lit up.
That burst of energy set the tone for the second annual Bonds Movement Youth Football Camp.
The free camp gave children ages 5 to 16 an opportunity to have fun, play and learn from local athletes and OCHS football alumni.
“We just want to try to bring the community together, man,” Bonds said. “And then also just bring some more people to Oglethorpe (County) and come together, starting a movement.”
Six stations were led by Bonds’ staff, who were family members and former OCHS teammates, including Class of 2023 quarterback Will Sampson, Class of 2022 wide receiver Alex Faust and Class of 2024 running back Jake Turner, among others.
Bonds said he wanted his staff to serve as role models for the campers, and he based his selections on that criterion. Sampson currently attends the University of Georgia, while Faust is a serviceman in the U.S. Army and Turner plays football for Berry College.
“I want those kids to be able to look and see, OK, this dude was successful,” Bonds said.
Using equipment lent by the high school, campers rotated to stations focused on skills ranging from agility and catching to tackling.
Counselors tailored the intensity of the drills to match skill levels, asking the oldest athletes to compete at a higher level, while keeping the drills accessible for the youngest campers.
“When you see somebody that played the game, and they're telling you you're doing a good job, that really motivates them,” Faust said. “It's like, OK, if they did this, and they're telling me I'm doing a good job, that must mean something — that I'm doing the right thing, and it really boosts them, and it pushes them to want to do it more.”
That adaptable and encouraging spirit is what drew Kayla Gravely, who has two sons at the camp, back for a second year.
“The way (the staff) step in, and the way the interaction is with all the kids — it's great,” Gravely said. “It gives them something to look forward to. It shows them that they can succeed, especially if you're from a small town, and become somebody.”
Bonds also called the older kids to leadership.
“When we get to a drill, I let them show the younger kids how to do it," Bonds said. "It’s teaching those older kids how to become leaders on the football field."
Afterward, Bonds and the staff gave campers certificates and medals. He posed for photos, gave high-fives and answered any lingering questions from campers.
“I expressed it to (KB) a little bit; ‘Sometimes take a few extra minutes when a kid walks up to you,’” said Patrick Bonds, KB’s father. “The kids actually think he's a pro football player. I mean, he's pretty much like a LeBron James to a lot of these kids here, which will go a long way. A lot of these kids will need that.”
A surprise “Touch-a-Truck” display, along with a community cookout, ended the day. Campers and parents watched a remote-controlled lawn mower demonstration and explored a roll-off truck from the Athens-Clarke County Solid Waste Department.
The addition was made after Patrick Bonds’ supervisors learned about the camp on social media, a gesture that resonated deeply with him.
His son agreed with the sentiment.
“It makes you feel good, makes you feel like you're actually doing something,” KB Bonds said. “At the end of the day, I know my community has my back.”