Hubbard football camp in Edmonton labour of love for his family

Edmonton's Chuba Hubbard held his annual youth football camp in Edmonton over the weekend.

Tackling, passing, teamwork and fitness drills were all on the curriculum.

Other athletes from the NFL, CFL and the NCAA coach the young athletes.

And while football was the focus, Chuba Hubbard hopes any lessons learned here lead to broader benefits.

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“Whether kids after this want to play football or not, i just want to give them the opportunity to have fun, compete, and be around some great people.” Hubbard, a star NFL running back for the Carolina Panthers be around other kids, said Sunday at his annual camp held at the Jasper Place Bowl. “I think if they just get something positive out of it, that’s the most important thing.”

The camp is a family affair in more ways than one.

Hubbard’s mother Candace Hubbard watches from the sidelines as her son gives others the opportunities she had to find for him.

“It’s very special,” she told CTV News Edmonton on Sunday. “Words can’t even describe. Every camp I tear up because it’s just amazing to see how happy the parents and the children are.”

A camp like this in Edmonton, for free, is a labour of love for the Hubbards.

“Seeing how much fun they have, and how much they appreciate it, it just humbles you,” said Hubbard, who grew up in Sherwood Park and played high school football at Bev Facey.

Hubbard and his family plan to continue the training camps every year and expand them to other cities.