Good Sports: Kamp Kendricks

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Central Valley is no stranger to breeding professional athletes.

It wasn't long ago that the Kendricks brothers Mychal and Eric were dominating on Friday nights for Hoover High.

"Big games out in Sanger," Mychal said. "When we are playing in a packed stadium or rivals against Bullard or Fresno High. It was just a good time."

"We played football, we are from right around the corner," Eric added. "It's up to us to give back, it's important for us to give back. You know there were times when we needed help as kids and now we are giving back to these kids."

They're giving back in the form of a free football camp held at Mclane High for 6th through 8th graders at the inaugural Kamp Kendricks.

"I've been around Fresno for a little over 30 years, and this is one of the first times I've seen football players come back and give so much to the community," the brothers' high school Rick Lyons said.

"Right now is just the perfect timing," Mychal said. "You know, me and Eric have solidified ourselves in the NFL. I feel like it's time we give back to our community."

More than 100 campers seized the opportunity to learn from the NFL stars along with a host of coaches and volunteers.

"Tackling drills, we had to run in a circle and then the guy would hold up a defender and we would hit it," 7th-grader Michael Williams said.

"We are teaching these kids to work hard, but not only to translate their work on the field but off the field," Eric said.

They're life lessons beyond the X's and O's.

"They taught us if you have any peers that are doing anything bad and tell them what to do and not do anything wrong," 7th grader Aidan Fortenberry said. "If you are doing something bad, you need to fix it right away."

"School is the most important thing to get to the next step and to listen to their parents, loved ones and being a good friend," Mychal said.

"That means a lot because if I got to that level, I would want to come back and give to my community too," Fortenberry said.

"Anything worth something is worth working for," Eric said. "Just you put your head down you work, you have a goal and you go to achieve it and you can."

It's showing that academics, accountability and taking action can all pay off.