Birmingham resident and former NFL defensive lineman Gary Burley recently launched ProStart Academy, an athletic and life skills training camp for high school athletes in 2008.
Headquartered at Miles College, ProStart Academy will provide 100 Birmingham-area high school students with sports fundamentals taught by former NFL players, alongside skills such as time and money management, marketing for scholarship consideration, and general help with academic and college requirements.
“We are thrilled to be able to give Birmingham’s young players the opportunity to learn from the leaders in their field,” says Burley, a three-time All American and blue-chip recruit in the NFL who played for the Cincinnati Bengals. “Our coaches and advisors comprise some of the country’s most notable players.
“These professionals are outstanding not only for their athletic accomplishments, but also for their commitment to the community and their dedication to helping the next generation of athletes,” Burley says.
Students will be coached by a mix of former NFL and college players and coaches, including Joe Cribbs, Stacey Bailey, Bob Lilly and Abner Hayes.
ProStart has also partnered with Dr. Larry Lemak, a world-renowned orthopedic surgeon and founding partner of Alabama Sports Medicine. The Hothead Sports and Hyperbaric Therapy Treatment Center will provide students with state of the art injury prevention training and technology.
The first class of students will be ages 13 to 18 and will be chosen by ProStart staff with assistance from principals and coaches in the Birmingham school district. The initial program launch will include only football, but the program will be expanded to include basketball and other sports.
All students must agree to to commit to the program for one year and to abide by a code of conduct and sportsmanship, as outlined in “The Athlete’s Pledge” by the Alabama High School Athletic Association. All training and academic programs will take place on the campus of Miles College.
ProStart Academy’s first class of high school athletes will begin training in March 2008.
