Bills safety George Wilson and running back CJ Spiller both gave back to the community this past weekend. Both Bills players held camps and retreats for students, inspiring young children by teaching them life lessons and skills.
Bills Running Back CJ Spiller hosted a special Football and Life Skills Camp for 5th-8th grade students at Clemson University May 19-20.
Participants gathered to learn about nutrition, fitness, teamwork, and how to stay healthy and active. The camp featured various group techniques and exercises geared toward education, which helped the students find out what type of learner they are, and how they can become a better learner in the future.
Sunday, the participants played 7-on-7 football, as they learned techniques from Spiller, Bills QB/WR Brad Smith and other camp leaders.
"It was a successful camp," said Spiller. "I was very pleased with the effort that the kids gave, and all the chaperones that were out helping."
Spiller hopes that the kids took football and educational skills from the camp that they can build upon in years to come.
"I hope they took some football skills but most importantly education…nutrition, and what type of learner they are," said Spiller. "I challenged all the kids to learn something about their roommate for the night they stayed over. From the reviews I have received, the students really enjoyed it."
The George Wilson Safety Foundation Leadership Retreat was held May 18-20 in Nashville, Tennessee. Over 50 students from the Paducah Kentucky Independent School District were selected to participate in this year's retreat. The theme of the weekend was "The Power of You" as Wilson taught the children lessons on how everything in life starts with you; your dreams, goals and aspirations.
"We were trying to empower the students with leadership skills so they could be confident so they don't always have to follow the crowd," said Wilson. "They can be able to stand up for themselves and stand-alone if need be."
The camp included indoor and outdoor activities geared toward teaching the children important lessons such as goal setting and ways to overcome fears.
The Alpine Tower exercise was part of the outdoor activity session. The activity was designed to help the children overcome their fear of heights.
"A lot of kids have the fear of heights, and they want to quit as soon as they feel anxiety," said Wilson. "We wanted to try to push them past that threshold. A lot of kids made it all the way to the top of the tower, and I saw a lot of growth and maturity in them this year."
Wilson wants the kids to take another step, applying the skills and lessons they learned over the weekend to their lives at home and at school. Wilson will be hosting a variety of events this summer in Paducah, Kentucky, and is looking forward to following up with the students from this year's leadership camp.
