ESA Fitness hosts football skills camp with local college athletes

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) – Terrance Butler is the owner and head athletes trainer at ESA Fitness, and he’s been on a mission to build and showcase the young athletic talent in Horry County.

He got together Saturday with some of his most talented clients to put on a football camp for the kids of the community they all grew up in.

Helping him teach this camp was Clemson wide receiver Adam Randall, Coastal Carolina defensive back Austin Randall, App State quarterback Ryan Burger, Georgia State quarterback Darren Grainger and North Carolina wide receiver J.J. Jones.

Butler has trained all of these D1 athletes and still continues to work with them when they come back from school.

“You know it’s really cool because I went to a camp when I was younger and seeing some of the older guys that went to college and I was like ‘wow you know that’s really cool to learn from them at a camp and at a camp setting,” said Burger. “It’ll be a blast to be in the other position that I was looking up to when I was younger.

All five college athletes were glad to return home and put on the camp with Butler, who they credit with helping them get where they are today.

“He’s really done a lot for me and I’m really elated to have him in my life,” said Adam Randall. “He’s kind of like a mentor to me. So I’m just excited to be out here and teaching these kids and showing them the ropes with Terrance because Terrance showed me a lot.”

Saturday’s camp focused on kids ages 7-13. Butler wanted to focus on the younger age levels in order to not only help teach them basic football skills, but the importance of work ethic at a young age.

“Really that’s where you learn all your footwork and all the ins and outs of the game like little stuff like what coverage is and stuff like that,” said Austin Randall. “That’s where you really start to tap into the deeper part of the game so that’s very important. Seven to 12 is very important.”

The group hopes to continue to build the talent here locally in Horry County.

“You know when you start as a young kid just coming to Terrance and just trying to develop your skillset and now he wants you to help host a camp and teach the young kids, the next generation the things he taught us it’s great,” said Darren Grainger.

The guys hope to continue to hold this camp every year.

“I’m a big guy on giving back to the community,” said J.J. Jones. “I think this would be great. We could make this annual. I think this could be really good. I really like this camp and hopefully it does come back next year.”

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