Post by Canton Cougar Fan on Jul 24, 2007 4:03:40 GMT -5
www.tonawanda-news.com/sports/gnnsports_story_202233113.html?keyword=topstory
By Nate Beutel
Greater Niagara Newspapers
Former all-Western New York quarterback Kevin Mason says he was behind by “three to four years” when he first arrived on campus at Syracuse University.
Now, Mason, 35, is taking it upon himself to make sure the same sort of thing doesn’t happen to some of this area’s best present-day football talent. That’s why he and Buffalo Gladiators all-star wide receiver and Kenmore East assistant coach Matt O’Malley designed The Next Level Football School.
“I knew there were guys that had the potential to do something in this area and I always wanted to get my hands on some of them and help them out,” Mason said.
Mason, who spent time in the NFL and currently plays for the Canton Legends of the American Indoor Football League, recruited a few prospects for the first session late last summer.
“It was kind of a trial run,” the Lockport resident explained.
A number of the participants were Kenmore East players that learned of the school through O’Malley, but soon after, players such as Niagara Falls High School graduate Greg Betterson, who was looking to transfer to a larger Division I or II school, and recent Kenmore West graduate Sam LaDuca, began to hear about it.
In fact, it was LaDuca who was Mason’s first legitimate understudy at quarterback. LaDuca is still with the program and has progressed to levels he never thought would be possible. He even committed to play quarterback this fall at Division III Norwich University.
“A lot of what we work on is recognition of defenses,” he said while working out at the University at Buffalo this past week. “We continuously go through drills to help me know what audibles to go through and what footwork is right.”
Mason added: “In the grand scheme of football — he was pitiful when he first came. No one ever taught him footwork, but now he’s got the hang of things and I think he’s much more prepared than from when I stepped into college.”
Mason, who works as a personal trainer, is also looking to expand the sessions to include different age groups or levels. Level I being ages 7 to 9, Level II being ages 10 to 14 and Level III being ages 14 to 17. All this while keeping a strong emphasis on specific individual and positional growth.
“If you have someone that specially knows quarterbacks or specifically knows receivers and can dedicate time and energy to them, that’s when each individual improves,” Mason said.
Mason is currently offering individual sessions at a player’s home school and a weekly group session at UB. He also plans to incorporate other sessions, including speed and agility and possibly more individual positions such as running backs. The school charges $320 for eight sessions, but other packages are available.
For more information, visit www.thenextlevelfootball.com or e-mail Mason at kmason@clovermanagement.com.
Contact reporter Nate Beutel at 282-2311, Ext. 2262.
By Nate Beutel
Greater Niagara Newspapers
Former all-Western New York quarterback Kevin Mason says he was behind by “three to four years” when he first arrived on campus at Syracuse University.
Now, Mason, 35, is taking it upon himself to make sure the same sort of thing doesn’t happen to some of this area’s best present-day football talent. That’s why he and Buffalo Gladiators all-star wide receiver and Kenmore East assistant coach Matt O’Malley designed The Next Level Football School.
“I knew there were guys that had the potential to do something in this area and I always wanted to get my hands on some of them and help them out,” Mason said.
Mason, who spent time in the NFL and currently plays for the Canton Legends of the American Indoor Football League, recruited a few prospects for the first session late last summer.
“It was kind of a trial run,” the Lockport resident explained.
A number of the participants were Kenmore East players that learned of the school through O’Malley, but soon after, players such as Niagara Falls High School graduate Greg Betterson, who was looking to transfer to a larger Division I or II school, and recent Kenmore West graduate Sam LaDuca, began to hear about it.
In fact, it was LaDuca who was Mason’s first legitimate understudy at quarterback. LaDuca is still with the program and has progressed to levels he never thought would be possible. He even committed to play quarterback this fall at Division III Norwich University.
“A lot of what we work on is recognition of defenses,” he said while working out at the University at Buffalo this past week. “We continuously go through drills to help me know what audibles to go through and what footwork is right.”
Mason added: “In the grand scheme of football — he was pitiful when he first came. No one ever taught him footwork, but now he’s got the hang of things and I think he’s much more prepared than from when I stepped into college.”
Mason, who works as a personal trainer, is also looking to expand the sessions to include different age groups or levels. Level I being ages 7 to 9, Level II being ages 10 to 14 and Level III being ages 14 to 17. All this while keeping a strong emphasis on specific individual and positional growth.
“If you have someone that specially knows quarterbacks or specifically knows receivers and can dedicate time and energy to them, that’s when each individual improves,” Mason said.
Mason is currently offering individual sessions at a player’s home school and a weekly group session at UB. He also plans to incorporate other sessions, including speed and agility and possibly more individual positions such as running backs. The school charges $320 for eight sessions, but other packages are available.
For more information, visit www.thenextlevelfootball.com or e-mail Mason at kmason@clovermanagement.com.
Contact reporter Nate Beutel at 282-2311, Ext. 2262.