What we know about high school football summer camps, potential dangers

For decades Arizona high school football teams have been getting away in July to cooler climates for team-building camps. But until July 18, when Laveen Cesar Chavez 15-year-old player Christopher Hampton was found dead in Show Low Lake, there wasn't a tragedy that made people want to look closer into what goes on at these camps.

Cesar Chavez officials are not allowed to talk to reporters. All media inquiries concerning Cesar Chavez are going through Phoenix Union High School District spokesman Richard Franco as the investigation into what led to Hampton's death continues. Law enforcement also is conducting an investigation.

PXU suspended head coach William Chipley and the assistants who attended the camp, along with Principal Robert Grant and Athletic Director Lenny Doerfler. They've all been placed on administrative leave. On Thursday, the district appointed William "Ducy" Burwell as the interim coach leading the Champions through Monday's first day of official practice in helmets.

There are still a lot of unanswered questions. How did Hampton get away from teammates in the lake? Were there witnesses who saw Hampton struggle? Why did the team go into the lake? Was it during daylight? Who was supervising them?

The closest to a timeline has come from the Navajo County Sheriff's Office, which said that at about 8 p.m., July 17, it first received a 911 call regarding a missing 15-year-old.

Show Low Lake is located between the rival White Mountains schools of Show Low and Blue Ridge, about eight miles away from both schools. Blue Ridge football coach and Athletic Director Jeremy Hathcock said he can't comment.

After the Cesar Chavez tragedy, administrators and coaches might reevaluate get-away summer camps. Will there be fallout?

This is what we know about high school football summer camps:

Where do Arizona high school football teams go for summer camp?

There are several options for schools to find cooler temperatures and get in team-bonding and building work before starting official Arizona Interscholastic Association practices in helmets.

There are a few spots in the White Mountains: Lakeside Blue Ridge (the camp Cesar Chavez attended) Show Low and Eagar Round Valley. There also are camps teams can escape to at Camp Tontozona near Payson, Heber Mogollon, Northern Arizona in Flagstaff and Mayer High School.

Some teams attend summer camps in Southern California, mainly in San Diego, Carlsbad, Huntington Beach and in Thousand Oaks, where Cody Cameron coordinates that camp at California Lutheran University.

About 15 schools used the Show Low facilities for camp in July. Blue Ridge had about 20 schools.

How many people from a high school football team go to camp?

It depends on the size of the teams. There could be as few as 18 and as many as 100. The larger the number of players attending the camps, the more coaches are expected to be there. It depends on the camp, but, for Show Low, the cost to attend the four-day, three-night camp that includes all-you-can-eat meals made by boosters runs between $125 and $185 a camper. That's considered cheap compared to other camps that charge anywhere from $300 to $600. The bus alone to drive the players to camps can cost as much as $10,000, according to a source. Some schools and districts set up funds that helps the kids attend. The typical team attending a camp brings eight to 10 coaches. When Gilbert Perry attended camp this month at Blue Ridge, coach Joseph Ortiz brought his entire staff, which was about 21 coaches. The more adult eyes on the players, the better.

Where do the teams stay?

They usually sleep in gyms or the wrestling rooms. At Blue Ridge, where three to four high schools programs can conduct camp during the same time, there are four gyms between the high school and middle school. Players and coaches bring sleeping bags and air mattresses. At the higher-end Cal Lutheran campers have their own beds.

What is a typical day like in camp?

The team generally gets up early, about 5:30, run the hiils. They'll have breakfast. They'll have a team workout. Then, there are meetings, lunch, weightlifting, practice, dinner, 7-on-7s, team building, bed. Add in games, talent shows, skits, story telling, that all goes into it. The AIA doesn't have jurisdiction on how many practices a day teams can have at a summer camp. The reduced work begins when the helmets go on, mainly to keep the players safe from the heat in the metro areas.

Advice given to teams at camps

School ADs try to tell coaches to keep their teams close, don't let the players stray too far, and to be careful if you do, because there's water near many locations. Teams that conduct camps on the Southern California coast like to go to the beach. It's not uncommon for players to run in the surf.

Cameron said the Cal Lutheran camp in Thousand Oaks that he coordinates goes through Ventura Port, where all of the kids are funneled into Ventura Harbor beach. He said they have to get a special permit, because those camps will draw between 300 and 400 football players.

"Instead of having one life guard per tower, we funnel three to four life guards per tower," Cameron said. "We're making sure we're way more staffed. We're really lucky because they have jet skis and life boats that are out by the brink. Those guys are so intelligent that they know where they could potentially get swept. They're there in a heart beat.

"You always have that worry. But if something were to happen, with life guards, jet skis and the boat, we're in pretty good shape. This is something we've already built into our program."

At Camp Tontozona, long a summer home for part of Arizona State's preseason football camp, there is a creek and a cliff area with water at the bottom.

The lake between Show Low and Blue Ridge can be attractive to teams that want a "kumbaya" moment. Camp directors can't watch what they do when they go off the camp grounds. They can only advise them not to go into the water.

"It's really the coaches' responsibility," Show Low Athletic Director Scott Hoffmeyer said. "If you're going to take your kids somewhere, you've really got to supervise them. We usually recommend for coaches to stay pretty darn close.

"Usually, they'll hit a restaurant in town one night. That's a pretty common thing."

To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert atrichard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on Twitter@azc_obert

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What we know about high school football summer camps