Tryouts for Idaho Air Raid 7v7 football this weekend; program designed to improve skill, technique
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IDAHO FALLS — A local spring 7-on-7 football club is building its roster for the coming season, and tryouts will be held this weekend at Hillcrest High School’s Westmark Stadium.
The Idaho Air Raid is entering its second season, according to founder and coach Oakley Hussey, a former Hillcrest Knight, Utah State Aggie and Idaho State Bengal football player.
Tryouts, which will be held Saturday, are open to “all of east Idaho,” Hussey said, and will be broken into groups based on age.
“What we’re trying to do is, we’re trying to develop players, number one,” he said. … “The second goal is to take our kids out and compete against other competition that they wouldn’t see otherwise.”
The Air Raid have around 20 coaches, all of whom played and have some level of coaching experience, with the ability to “take players to another level.”
Hussey told EastIdahoNews.com that he always considered himself a solid athlete, with the ability to play at the college level. But while attending college camps in the summer, he discovered that there are a great many players who bring that same level of athletic ability.
Spring football, he explained, allows for players with the same aspirations he once had to be further exposed to the heightened level of play. Air Raid players, he said, leave the spring season with an increased understanding of game, and the ability to play it faster, with more skill and competitive drive.
Air Raid also takes it players to nearby universities for visits, tour facilities and present networking opportunities.
And while the program is designed with improvement and exposure in mind, it also offers the football-lovers more time to play and have fun doing it.
Hussey admitted that 7-on-7 isn’t “real football.”
It is played without linemen, focused on improving the passing game — both offensively and defensively. But, he said, it does offer some great potential for growth
“There’s a side to it that I think is good,” Hussey said. “It, kind of, exposes you as a player, you can’t really hide behind your pads … it’s not just downhill football, you’ve got to play with a little more technique, a little more skill.”
On top of that, he added:
“It’s just a good compliment to adding and building confidence in players’ skillsets.”
Tryouts will be broken into groups. Fourth through eighth graders will try out from 11 a.m until 12:30 p.m. — again, at Hillcrest High School. Ninth to 11th graders will take the field from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.
Tryout details can be found on Facebook — here.
Hussey said that he expects the number of players to increase from the 120 or so from the club’s inaugural season last year to this season.
Tryouts, he added, will NFL Combine-esque, with individual drills designed to show a players’ abilities and understanding of the game.
“We work in a lot of drills, offensively and defensively, just trying to get a good analysis of the athletes individually,” Hussey said. … “Obviously, we want to see some competition — some one-on-one work. It’s pretty simple, nothing too crazy.”
Games are in the spring — March through May — though the older teams could be involved in some tournament play across the country in the late-winter months.
Hussey said that his personal goal is to see the many great high school athletes who call eastern Idaho home get more reps and training.