CHICAGO – No OTA practice was conducted Friday at Halas Hall, but all of the Bears rookies were still on a football field displaying some of their special skills.

Third-round draft pick Jarron Gilbert throws a pass Friday at a Bears Youth Football Camp in Chicago.

The rookies shared their expertise with about 140 children at a Chicago Bears Youth Football Camp near the Lincoln Park softball fields in Chicago, assisting camp coaches by running drills while also playing catch with the kids, posing for photos and signing autographs.

See photos here

Chicago Bears Youth Football Camps are weeklong, non-contact day camps that teach football and life skills to both experienced youth players and newcomers to the game. With a focus on fundamentals, participants are taught how to throw, catch and defend. Teamwork, sportsmanship, self-esteem and nutrition are also important components of the camp curriculum.

Tom Finks, who runs the camps as executive director of Pro Sports Experience, was happy to welcome the Bears rookies to Friday’s event.

“The kids are thrilled by it,” said Finks, the son of former Bears general manager Jim Finks, a Hall of Fame executive. “The Bears players bring so much energy to the camp. They’re so young that the kids can see themselves in these guys, and that’s awesome.

“We want the kids to understand that through hard work and with a passion for the game they can be just like these guys, so it really gives us an easy teaching platform to get the kids inspired.”

Friday’s outing was one of four volunteer activities the Bears rookies will participate in as part of the “Rookie Rally” program, which was created by the team’s community relations department to involve the team's first-year players, as a group, in charitable activities throughout the season. 

The Rookie Rally program helps the rookies learn more about their new community, serve several worthwhile charitable organizations in the area, and bond together as a group through volunteerism.

More Chicago Bears Youth Football Camps are scheduled to be held throughout the summer. The camps are led by professional educators, with supplemental instruction provided by former Bears such as Robin Earl, Allan Ellis, Kris Haines, Al Harris, Jim Morrissey, Mickey Pruitt and Revie Sorey.  

By bringing the camps to local communities, the Bears are making safe, high quality football instruction available to children throughout Chicagoland. Registration is still available for late June and July.  More information can be found at www.BearsCamps.com or 312-226-7776. 

“If you’re a dedicated football player, you’ll get the kind of instruction and the repetitions and the kind of push that you need to have a great season this upcoming fall,” Finks said. “It’s also a blast for newcomers to the game. It’s a ton of fun, and if they should want to get into the tackle game, they’ll be better prepared.

“Even if you decide never to play football again, this week might be the best week of the summer for you.”