PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — 12-year-old Jaden Brown is working to take back the community.
Last Sunday, over 87 kids attended his 30 by 30 football camp. He told 10 On Your Side he originally started the camp because of the many kids who look up to him.
“I started this camp because I saw somebody doing it, and I really wanted to make it my own camp because I just wanted to help the kids out and make them be better,” Brown said.
But his mom Danielle said there’s a reason why it was held in June — gun violence awareness month.
“We just had a young boy from — who stayed out there in Cradock who just passed and from my understanding, he played football,” she said. “Try to get out here, you know, play in a sport, just do something instead of being out here just roaming the streets or something.”
She told 10 On Your Side she’s unbelievably proud of her son.
“For a 12-year-old to host his own camp, and then, you know, there was a big major camp for a football player in Virginia Beach,” she said. “Tyreek hill was here also, and it was the same day and we still had a great turnout.”
Jaden said after this year’s success, he’s already looking ahead to next year’s football camp.
“I’m going to make another camp for next year,” Jaden said. “I hope it’ll be more people that come so we can train to get better and better.”
He also plans on holding a basketball camp later this year.
Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.