Ben Roethlisberger, the two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers, is welcoming hundreds of kids to his second annual football camp at Mars Area High School football stadium this week.
Big Ben and 450 kids between the ages of 7 to 14 years old will participate in the camp, which kicked off Monday and continues through Wednesday.
PHOTO ALBUM: BIG BEN'S FOOTBALL CAMP
Camp instructors include Pittsburgh-area high school and college football coaches.
The Ben Roethlisberger camp is working with the Boys and Girls clubs of Western PA and the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh to provide camp scholarships to disadvantaged youth.
The campers are learning how to become championship players from the star quarterback, but Roethlisberger says that sportsmanship is also one of the larger themes they focus on.
"We give a sportsmanship camper of the day," Roethlisberger said. "It doesn't necessarily mean it's for the kid with the most touchdowns, or interceptions, or whatever."
Joe Lonigro, one of the camper of the day recipients, was selected because he was the first one to the next drill, and helped other campers out when they were knocked down.
"When the kids missed the ball, I picked them up," Lonigro said, "and when they intercepted it, I encouraged them.
"It's cool because I got to meet Big Ben."
The instructors aren't the only special visitors to the camp; Roethlisberger's parents also attended this year, and they were very proud of how their son is contributing to the camp's success.
"To hear the coaches talk about how some players aren't always at the other camps, the fact that he's here all the time, I think the kids appreciate it," said Ken Roethlisberger, Ben's father.
"Ben just has a great time doing this," said Brenda Roethlisberger, Ben's stepmother. "It really makes us proud and loving what he does."
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