Thielen Foundation Holds Highly-Anticipated Youth Football Camp in Detroit Lakes

Detroit Lakes, Minn (KDLM) – The Thielen Foundation brought its highly-anticipated youth football camp to Detroit Lakes on Saturday, the first time that the camp has been held in Detroit Lakes. When registration for the camp opened last March, the 200-camper session sold out in about five minutes. A second camp was opened shortly after that, and that one sold out just as quickly.

DLHS alum Adam Thielen, who signed a free agent contract with the Carolina Panthers in March after ten seasons with his hometown Minnesota Vikings, says it’s incredible to see support from his family, friends, and mentors from his high school days…even though he’s not with the Vikings anymore.

“It’s great to be back here,” Thielen said on Saturday. “We’ve been wanting to do the camp here for a long time now and it finally worked out. The support has been great. We didn’t know what the turnout would be with me changing teams and being in a different spot, but I’m so glad to be here and it’s great to see so many people that have been influential on my journey. It’s always good to be back in Detroit Lakes.”

Adam Thielen and his old football coach Flint Motschenbacher catch up before the Thielen Foundation Youth Football Camp in Detroit Lakes on June 24, 2023 (Photo: Zeke Fuhrman / KDLM News)

Despite the rain that moved the camp from Thielen’s old stomping grounds at Mollberg Field inside the Lakeshirts Fieldhouse, 400+ youth campers between the ages of 5 and 14 attended both the camps that ran from 9-11 and 12-2.

Laker football coaches and players volunteered at the event, helping lead and coordinate speed and strength drills for the first hour of the clinic.

A member of the Detroit Lakes Football team helps coach a camper though a strength drill at the Thielen Foundation Youth Football Camp on June 24, 2023 (Photo: Zeke Fuhrman / KDLM News)

“These are the kinds of things that helped make Adam successful,” Laker head coach Reed Hefta explained to the kids. “And these are all things you do on your own to help you get better.”

During the second hour rotated between blocking drills, throwing fundamentals, and receiving work, with Thielen rotating around the gym to throw a couple of passes to each camper.

Adam Thielen throws a pass to a camper at the Thielen Foundation Youth Football Camp in Detroit Lakes on June 24, 2023 (Photo: Zeke Fuhrman / KDLM News)

The Thielen Foundation hold youth camps across the state, with the mission to create programs that will equip and empower kids to reach their full potential in life. The Thielen Foundation has made impacts locally, donating new football uniforms and weight equipment to Detroit Lakes High School, but also giving generously to underserved communities across the state.

“When we started the Foundation we wanted to make sure that were making an impact with the motto ‘helping youth reach their full potential’,” said Thielen. “Show people and these kids, really, that we care. And show that their communities care about them in areas that don’t have a lot. It’s been pretty cool to see what they do with the time and resources that we give and what they’re able to do with that, it’s important to show that you care.”

Adam Thielen gives instructions to the group of 200 campers at the Thielen Foundation Youth Football Camp in Detroit Lakes on June 24, 2023. (Photo: Zeke Fuhrman / KDLM News)

Since 2018, the Thielen Foundation has put more than $2.5 million back into Minnesota communities.