
March 8-13, 80 football enthusiasts from around the Urals, representing different teams and skill levels, traveled to Yekaterinburg to participate in intensive training and practice sessions lead by Mike Haynes, a former defensive player with the Chicago Bears and first round draft pick, and Billy Elmore, coach at West Memphis Arkansas high school and the 2007 State Farm 3A Football Coach of the Year.

Run by the Ekaterinburg Academy of Tackle Football, under the support of the U.S. Consulate in Yekaterinburg, the football camp included both technical and on-the-field sessions. During technical sessions, the American sports envoys reviewed safety principles and discussed strategy. On the field, the American coaches and Russian players ran drills and plays, tackling and scrimmaging their way to creating friendships that will last.
You can learn more about this interesting sports exchange through Channel 4 or OTV .