ARCANUM — The Arcanum Trojans football program took another step toward building its future as head coach Matt Macy, his coaching staff, and 38 varsity players welcomed 45 young athletes to the program’s annual Youth Football Camp.
The two-day camp provided second- through sixth-grade campers an opportunity to learn the fundamentals of football while working alongside high school players and coaches.
Now entering his fifth season leading the Trojans, Macy brings a wealth of experience to the sidelines. Before coming to Arcanum, he spent 14 years coaching at the collegiate level and also served as head coach at Ansonia High School.
Throughout the camp, Macy and his staff emphasized not only football fundamentals but also the life lessons the sport teaches.
“It takes a special kind of kid to play football,” said Macy. “I want them to play all sports, but other sports can be a little easier. Football is hard, and it just takes a special kind of kid. Usually, those kinds of kids end up being successful in life because they have a high level of commitment, and that is what we are trying to get started here.”
One of the highlights of the camp came on the second day, when campers were divided into four age groups and spent the final two hours scrimmaging.
The format allowed the young athletes to put newly learned skills into action while enjoying the competitive side of the game.
“We want them to have fun, so they want to play football,” Macy said. “That’s the whole goal here at camp — teaching them the first part of the commitment piece of it.”
Macy said the involvement of the varsity players has become one of the most rewarding aspects of the camp and a sign that the program’s culture continues to grow.
“You can just look at all of our varsity guys out here,” said Macy. “This is like their favorite two days of the year. They love coming out here to give back and compete. We play some games, and they compete, and they are passing that competition down to the little guys.”
As the program has developed over the past four seasons, Macy believes one of the biggest reasons for its growth has been the coaching staff surrounding him.
“I have a great staff now,” said Macy. “I have been lucky to put together this staff, and it kind of fell into place for me.”
Macy credited several coaches for helping establish a strong foundation.
“Having Coach Toby coming down from Ansonia with me, and Coach Powers already being in the building, Coach Cates being our principal, I have Coach Ary, who was on the original team here in 1976, and Coach Gilmore, who has a ton of experience, and Coach Stone came from Dixie and he has a ton of experience, so I got lucky,” Macy said.
While the youth camp focused on the next generation of Trojans, attention is also turning toward the upcoming high school season.
With summer workouts continuing, Macy knows the start of the 2026 campaign is rapidly approaching.
“We have a little countdown clock. It’s 59 days from kickoff, so it’s getting tight,” Macy said. “Today and tomorrow we lift, and then we have a week off, and essentially, July 6, when we come back, it’s football season.”
For Arcanum, the annual youth camp not only teaches football fundamentals but also strengthens the connection between current players and future Trojans — a key ingredient as the program continues to build toward success in the years ahead.
