The first real snaps of a football season don’t usually take place until September. 

But for many youth football players across the country, there’s an opportunity, even as the baseball season is just underway, to get an early start on football by taking part in clinics and camps during the spring and summer. My sons Bradley and Jared may be just days away from their first little league games of the spring, but they also have their sights set on getting back on the football field very soon.

In fact, Bradley is going to be participating this Saturday in a USA Football Middle School Showcase clinic at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It’s a one-day, non-contact clinic that gives middle-school student athletes an opportunity to work in individual drills and position-specific drills under the guidance of current NCAA coaches and former NFL players and coaches. The day is split into two practices with an hour long break in-between for lunch.  

RELATED CONTENT: New U.S. National Team app puts program info at your fingertips

At the end of the day, there’s an awards ceremony, but the whole day is rewarding for these young men who are either playing at the middle school level or, in my son’s case, about to make the transition from youth football to playing seventh-grade middle school football. For kids in grades six through eight, it’s a chance to develop their skills on and off the field while also having the opportunity to be selected for the U.S. National Team program for their specific age. 

There’s also a Middle School Showcase on Saturday in Washington, D.C. and another one scheduled for May 5 in Los Angeles. In March, there were showcases in Dallas, Kansas City, Missouri, and Charlotte, North Carolina.  

After this clinic, Bradley will turn his attention back to baseball, but in late June he’ll join his brother Jared at a three-day youth football camp on Long Island that the boys have been attending for the last few years.  It’s a non-contact camp that features instruction from current and former NFL players and coaches. The camp is designed for both tackle and flag football players because both versions of the sport share some common fundamentals on both sides of the ball. 

RELATED CONTENT: U.S. National Team Regionals: The Journey to International Bowl 2019

Youth football training camps won’t start until August and there are some programs that might have an introductory non-contact camp in late July, but it’s probably a good idea for parents to see if there’s a youth football camp that’s a fit for their child this spring and summer. For Bradley to be able to work with someone like Houston Texans offensive line coach Mike Devlin or for Jared to get some tips from former New York Jets safety Erik Coleman is really something special.

These kinds of camps are a lot of fun for the kids, but there’s also the opportunity to hone their skills and learn about the fundamentals of football. Some camps are more affordable than others and some require kids to stay on the campgrounds overnight, but it’s really up to the parents to determine what is in the best interests of their child.  

The football season will get here faster than you think, so it’s never too early for your child to get the rust off and get back on the football field to get a jump on the new season.  

RELATED CONTENT: In youth sports, if parents pay, children should play

Peter Schwartz is a sports anchor for the CBS Sports Radio Network, FOX News Headlines 24/7 and WCBS 880 Radio in New York. His older son Bradley plays youth tackle football for the Super Bowl Champion East Meadow Rams on Long Island, while his younger son Jared plays flag football for the LSW Giants. Peter, his wife Sheryl and the boys are busy cheering on the New York Jets when they’re not at a youth football field.