While some coaches will tell you that what happens during the summer will go a long way in the end result in December, many do not practice what they preach.

Rolling out a few balls, watching film and opening the weight room a few times a week used to be the fashionable thing to do, and while some still live by that sword, others have found that actually getting out and supporting your team in the spring and the summer is the only way to keep up with the elite programs in the state.

While 7-on-7 events offer a tremendous opportunity for the skilled players on your team, nothing says how much you care when you usher your linemen to a camp and follow them around, supporting them in the same manner you would a running back, quarterback or linebacker.

Whether you buy into the fact or not, it's what happens up front that actually ends up dictating the success of any program, and over the past few weeks, area coaches have gone by that word, making sure they bring both sides of the line to the annual Down & Dirty Camp at Stetson University in Deland.

Seven grueling sessions over three days tend to separate those who want to be there from those who would rather be walking around some air conditioned mall or checking out the beach with friends.

TOP LINEMAN AT EVENT

For over a decade, Lake Wales High School coach Rod Shafer and Webber International University coach Kelly Scott have been hosting this event that attracts some of the top linemen from the state of Florida as well as Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and North Carolina.

In over 100 degree heat, these lineman, some 350-400 per session, are taught the right technique from college coaches who have nothing but time to make sure that you leave this camp with more than you came with.

''It is without a doubt the best event any coach can send their kids to,'' said Everglades coach Josh Shapiro, who brought 16 of his linemen to the camp. ``Taking nothing away from camps in our area, but here you are away from home, competing against kids you will probably never see again.''

There's something special about living in a college dorm room, going to meetings and living by a schedule. Oh, of course, the late night pizza deliveries that only 6-4, 300-pounders can understand.

Shapiro brought his players to the camp last year, taking a lead from former head coach Mike Palmieri, who certainly practices what he preaches. Palmieri, who also coached at McArthur and played at South Broward, believes in what Florida athletes bring to the table. That's why he brought more than 70 of his players from Mallard Creek High (near Charlotte, N.C.) the past two years.

Only in its second year of varsity football, Mallard Creek reached No. 3 in the state last year, finishing 10-0 in the regular season. They open against nationally-rated Charlotte Independence this year.

''I tell the kids in North Carolina that if you want to get better, you make the sacrifice to drive that 10 hours to Florida for this camp,'' Palmieri said. ``My kids benefited from it when I coached in Florida, and now, it's something we will do every year.''

IMPROVEMENT EXPECTED

The Gators, who finished just behind Cypress Bay and Miramar in the district a year ago, figure to improve with seniors Courtney Williams, Stefan Grant, Kevin Ohbo, Renado Robinson, Austin Rochford and David Rowe joining juniors Clemente Casseus, Jared Shaw, Joe Henry, Stephen Hicks, Johnathan Iverson, Alex Kamp, Arsen Pascual and Andrew Young, and sophomores Michael Powell and Herbert Washington all making the most of the seven sessions.

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