Grayson holding football camp
Braylon Grayson wants to give young athletes in Warren County something he wished he had growing up.
The former Warren County High School standout is organizing a free football camp Monday, June 15 at WCHS, hoping to create an event that combines competition, instruction and fun for athletes throughout the county.
"My goal for this camp is to make it an annual event so kids and athletes in our county can have a camp like the ones other counties offer," said Grayson. "My inspiration comes from when I was younger and wished there were camps in town so kids could have something fun to do while also competing and improving their skills."
The camp will be open to athletes from elementary school through high school and will feature a unique format designed to test athletic ability while introducing participants to football-specific skills.
"This camp will be set up like an NFL Combine with events such as the vertical jump, laser-timed 40-yard dash, 5-10-5 shuttle and more," said Grayson.
Athletes will be divided into three age groups throughout the day. Upcoming 3-5 graders will participate from 8:30-10 a.m., followed by 6-8 graders from 10:15-11:45 a.m. High school athletes (entering grades 9-12) will work out from 12:15-2:15 p.m. Awards will be presented following each session.
For Grayson, the camp is about more than just times and measurements. He hopes it can help build connections between young athletes and the players and coaches they look up to throughout the community.
Both the Warren County High School and Warren County Middle School football coaches are expected to attend the event, providing young athletes an opportunity to meet coaches and showcase their abilities.
"I'm hoping middle school and high school players will come help out because many younger kids look up to the older athletes in our community," said Grayson.
Even bigger, Grayson wanted kids to only be focused on football. Money wasn’t something he was seeking as making the event free was a top priority.
"The camp will be completely free so every kid has the opportunity to attend without having to worry about money," said Grayson. "I only had a certain amount of money and a deadline to get free T-shirts for players this year, but hopefully next year I'll be able to give one to everyone who attends. Any donations people would like to give will go back to the Warren County football program."
Grayson understands the impact football can have on a young athlete because he lived it himself.
He emerged as one of the key players on Warren County's 2020 team that finished 8-3 and snapped a 30-year streak of losing seasons. Grayson earned all-region honors three times, rushed for more than 1,000 yards during his career to finish among the program's all-time leaders and capped his playing days with 135 tackles as a senior in 2022.
After originally signing to play at Eastern Kentucky and moving on to Carson Newman, Grayson has remained active in the local football community. He has spent part of this spring working with Warren County Middle School players, sharing techniques and lessons learned during his own playing career.
Now, he's hoping June 15 becomes the start of something much bigger: A chance to grow competitive football players right at home.
