For 12 years, Humboldt's Kelly Bates and a group of college and professional coaches spend a weekend in Muenster, helping develop football players.

The Kelly Bates Football Camp was back in the area on April 29 and 30, with close to 100 players registered for the two-day event.

Twelve years in, Bates says they continue to see improvements.

"I probably say this every year, but it seems like every year it becomes the next best camp experience," he said. "It was a tremendous weekend, the weather cooperated, and it was great to see the entire community pull off something like this that not every kid gets to experience."

This year, Bates had five former Saskatchewan Roughriders helping out. Patrick Neufeld, Chris Getzlaf, Scott McHenry, Keenan MacDougall and Joe Lobendahn were joined by Brent Schneider, Travis Serke, Terry Braman, Keenan North, Kyle Stroeder, Ed Carleton and Shaun Gardiner on the coaching staff.

The weekend begins with a classroom session to go over playbooks and then breaks out into two days of on-field practices, film sessions, a training session and to cap it all off, a Sunday scrimmage.

Bates says that the energy surrounding the camp is what makes it great each year.

"Seeing everything come together and the enjoyment everybody gets out of it," he noted. "Seeing the enjoyment that kids from all four corners of the province get and seeing their parents enjoy it. Just the entirety of the weekend is very enjoyable."

He added that his perspective on the camp has changed since it begun, noting that seeing players enjoying the camp is truly the best part.

Bates, who is head coach of the Simon Fraser Clan - Canada's only NCAA football team - says that the camp has helped shape him into following the path to his current role in the game.

Being that he is two provinces away throughout the year, Bates credits HCI football coach and teacher Tom Schwinghamer for taking care of things locally to ensure the camp runs smoothly.

He added his thanks to Scott Kennedy, who prepares the field each year at St. Peter's College in Muenster.

Bates says with their help, and everyone else who pitches in, it brings a professional camp experience.

"Maybe some of those kids don't realize how good it is, but when they look back on it in 20 years, they will."

For his contributions to the game through the camp and for his many years playing and coaching, Bates will be recognized in June as an inductee to the Humboldt and District Sports Hall of Fame.