The numbers are impressive - 96 kids from all four corners of Saskatchewan putting in 12 hours of practice in a weekend.

Kelly Bates told Bolt FM that what he saw on the field at St. Peter’s College at his camp earlier this month was “astounding.”

Take the defensive backs for example. On the first day, they start learning how to backpedal - a critical component of everything they do. After just one day of practice, Bates sees progress.

“It really is one of those things that you get out of it what you put in and these kids put in so much that you see tremendous improvement.”

The instructors teach the young football players that success comes from the combination of expertise and hard work, Bates said.

“Well every kid there is trying to increase their expertise and every kid there is working their butt off to make that happen.

“And really, that’s what’s most important - that they learn that everything is a process and that it doesn't come instantly - and that by coming to camps like this, when they put in so much time over a short period of time, they continue to build their expertise and as long as they continue to work hard they’ll get better.”

Bolt FM announcer Tyler Bieber, who died in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, was one of the unsung heroes in previous camps, who did whatever they needed, Bates said.

”He was one of those guys that I took for granted because I always thought he’d be there. I always looked forward to our yearly conversations about the CFL and unfortunately we didn’t get to have that conversation this year.”