RONAN — Small town football is special in Montana, but sometimes opportunities are harder to come by in these communities.
But every once in a while, some former NFL players might stop by to help out.
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Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank has sent some of his former players across Montana to host youth flag football camps that are free for all participants.
Their latest stop was in Ronan, which high school coach Mike Krahn says is inspiring for the future of the sport in this small town.
“Maybe getting some interest in these guys will carry out and (they will) play some high school football,” Krahn said “It's neat to see the girls out, you know. Who knows in the future if there'll be a flag football team possibly here for girls. That's really growing.”
The kids received a once-in-a-lifetime chance to learn from some of the best in the game through drills and scrimmages.
One young camper, Andrew Gilliland, took full advantage of that opportunity.
“I had more fun than I was going to expect I was,” Gilliland said. “I like that I was able to be around NFL players. It's kind of cool. I've never been to an NFL game or anything like that.”
While these camps are often held in bigger towns like Missoula or Bozeman, the Falcons believed it was important to reach some smaller towns to help inspire kids.
Former Falcons strong safety Robert Moore says coming to Ronan was special.
“A lot of times we think it's saturated, but then there are a lot of places that we still haven't touched,” Moore Said. “So as long as you're reaching back and you're helping your children, you're not doing anything that's ever gonna be wrong, and like I said, when you're talking about going to the small towns, a lot of times that's where we're needed.”
Based on the number of athletes at this week’s camp, it seems clear flag football is continuing to grow.
“To see the participation rate just continue to increase, to see the skill level to continue to increase, and then opportunities, you know, for young ladies especially to go to college on a flag football scholarship, it's just great,” said Moore.
