Ryan Koskinen contributed to this story. Images by John Muse at Visit Myrtle Beach.
ESPN Events, producers of the annual Myrtle Beach Bowl, teamed up with the City of Myrtle Beach and the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce (MBACC) and Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) to host a free Youth Football Clinic on Tuesday, June 28, 2022, at Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium in Myrtle Beach.
Eighty youth ages 7 to 12 participated in the inaugural, half-day event. Coaching staff from the Myrtle Beach Bowl provided offense and defense instruction and practice opportunities to prepare each participant to be a better, more confident football player. Practice drills focused on technique, agility and lateral quickness.
During the clinic, the kids were given free t-shirts and numerous opportunities to get snacks and water. Music played during drills allowing kids to have fun dancing.
Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium provided the young players with the opportunity to play at a state-of-the-art facility. The field features a Field Turf all-weather playing surface and is surrounded by an eight-lane composite track. Home to the Myrtle Beach High School Seahawks and a growing list of track and field events, the 4,500-capacity stadium, football field and track are jointly owned by the City of Myrtle Beach and the Horry County School District. The track is also open to the public at certain times.
“We’re thrilled to partner with the Myrtle Beach Bowl, ESPN Events and the City of Myrtle Beach for the first year to host this free football clinic for our local youth. It was a fun and rewarding experience for all participants,” said Jonathan Paris, executive director of sports tourism for the Myrtle Beach Area CVB.
“We would like to thank the Myrtle Beach Chamber and CVB, the City of Myrtle Beach and Horry County for their help making this event possible,” said Rachel Quigley, executive director for the Myrtle Beach Bowl.
The third-annual Myrtle Beach Bowl game will be held on Monday, Dec. 19, at 2:30 p.m. at Coastal Carolina University’s Brooks Stadium. The matchup will feature schools from two of three NCAA Division I conferences: Conference USA, the Mid-American Conference and the Sun Belt Conference.