At the Allegheny College Youth Football Camp, the student-athletes are in charge -- literally.

The camp, now in its ninth year, is free of charge to area youth and is completely organized and administered by the Allegheny football players. The athletes raise all the funds necessary to host the camp, they teach all of the camp sessions, and they take care of all of the administrative details that make the camp possible.

The one-day camp gives children ages 9-12 a chance to learn the fundamentals of football, and it exposes them to positive role models in the Allegheny student-athletes. It also gives the student-athletes a chance to work on their leadership and organizational skills. This year, 70 children attended the camp in Meadville, Pennsylvania.

"Over the years, our players have run this youth football camp quietly and successfully, rather than seeking accolades or publicity for themselves," said athletics director Rick Creehan. "Over the last four or five years, I've personally stopped by to observe and enjoy the afternoon. Each year it's more and more noticeable that the young players idolize the current (Allegheny) players. This youth clinic is another small example of all that is good about collegiate student-athletes."

The camp is run by football players who have completed their junior year. The team's defensive backs coach, Frank Colaprete, provides the student-athletes with their only formal assistance by keeping track of the camp's records each year and passing them along to the next group of organizers. This year's event was spearheaded by Joe Rossi, a defensive tackle and one of next year's senior captains.

"We do the camp in order to teach the fundamentals of the game, and we also want the kids to have a lot of fun," Rossi said.

"Hopefully, if they have a good experience here, they will want to play organized football someday -- or play any sport."

Rossi said organizing the camp is a great learning experience for both the players and the youngsters.

"After experiencing what it's like to organize everything and be in charge, this camp makes you respect the work that our coaches put in for us," he said.

"One thing I took away from the camp is a little reminder of why we play football. Sometimes guys forget why they play. It's not easy in any way (to play college football), and guys could be out doing lots of different things, but when you get to do something like this camp, it reminds you why you give so much to this game."

Joshua Six, a senior defensive tackle, agreed.

"The best part is seeing how much fun the kids have and their smiles and laughs," Six said. "We get to teach them the basics of football, too, and that helps us in understanding what's expected of us."

This year, the players organized 12 stations, each emphasizing a different aspect of football fundamentals. Each station had at least two student-athletes as instructors, and youngsters moved from one station to the other. Stations featured the basics, such as "How to catch a football," "How to punt a football" and "How to defend a pass."

"The drill I was in charge of worked with a rope ladder on the ground," said junior guard Ryan Jones. "We tried to teach the kids about good footwork and the types of steps that you have to make in football. Some people think that offensive linemen aren't coordinated, but after doing the rope drills all day with different kids, I feel like I have the quickest feet on the team."

The work the student-athletes do ahead of time enables all interested youngsters to attend, and it also provides them with a T-shirt and lunch.

"The camp is totally free because of the fund-raising we do," said Jeremy Snyder, a senior halfback and team captain. "The seniors go around to local businesses and get donations to pay for everything. We also go to all the area elementary schools and make announcements about the camp to get the word out."

Football coach Blair Hrovat values the camp for what it brings to the student-athletes and the community.

"The seniors have done a great job of passing this tradition down," Hrovat said. "They have exceptional leadership and commitment to this project. This is another example of Allegheny students giving back to the community. We also have students involved in the YMCA, Big Brothers and Big Sisters and the Salvation Army. This camp is undoubtedly going to continue in the future."

And the student-athletes will continue to be in charge.