Former Lodi, Tokay athletes hope to help kids reach full potential at new camp

Tim Mangrich and Nate Scott wanted to do something for the community that helped develop them into standout athletes and leaders. They came up with Offseason212, a strength and speed training camp.

The 212 refers to water's boiling point and its meaning is described on their Web site: "At 211 degrees water is hot. At 212 degrees it boils. Boiling water produces steam. Steam will power a locomotive. It is that one extra degree that makes a difference."

Now Mangrich, a 1995 Lodi High graduate, and Scott, a '97 Tokay High grad, are hoping to make a difference in the Lodi area with this six-week summer camp, which focuses not only on the physical aspects of sports, but leadership, sportsmanship and nutrition as well.

"We were sitting in (Tim's) living room a couple years back and we'd always had a dream for this type of camp," said Scott, a former running back at Tokay, the University of Wyoming and a professional team in Australia. He's now a certified personal trainer and the varsity running backs coach at Tokay. "We wanted to make it affordable and to be mentors; to be like big brothers to the kids."

Camp participants will hear from weekly guest speakers on leadership and nutrition, while going through every physical test prospective NFL draft picks do, from the 40-yard dash to the vertical leap.

The camp is being held at Tokay High on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 4-7 p.m. and will run through mid-July. The cost is $50 per week, with participants ranging from age 10 to, as Scott puts it: "As old as they come." (They currently have some college students participating).

While Scott and Mangrich are excited about this camp, they say it's only the beginning of their vision.

"We're going to put on some football clinics and other sports clinics throughout the year," said Mangrich, a former offensive lineman at Delta and Greenville College in Illinois, now the head freshman football coach at Lodi. "Our big goal in the next six years is to have a facility where we can do it year-round."

To register for the camp, visit the Web site offseason212.com.