Tyler Blum was a multi-sport star at Walnut High School in western Iowa, excelling in football, wrestling and baseball. Blum played football on scholarship at the University of Iowa from 2005-09, but was hampered by a nagging back injury throughout college. He pursued a career in professional baseball for several summers as a hard-throwing southpaw before deciding to launch a new career as a personal instructor.

Blum now works for Diamond Dreams Sports Academy in Coralville. He has worked with some of the top young athletes from Iowa City and from throughout the corridor, providing individual instruction and positive competition in sports like football and baseball.

Here’s a closer look at Blum’s latest project:

Taking Back Football Camps Will Make An Impact This Season

By: Tyler Blum

This will be my 3rd year offering summer football camps throughout the state. In addition to my own, I participate in many others run by ex-teammates, friends, colleagues, and more. From mid June through the end of the season, there aren’t many days I don’t spend teaching on a football field.

Weather it’s those camps, or others around the state—attending any offseason camp is a step in the right direction for your player to improve his game and achieve his football dreams. There are many camps that run from 1-3 days that include a tremendous experience organized by great football people and coaches. I grew up going to these types of camps. For a camp that will make the greatest on-field impact for the coming season, I’d recommend my 6-week camps. Here’s why:

Weekly Sessions vs. Weekend Event

In my opinion, there is no question that meeting for a 90-minute weekly session provides much more opportunity to build and sustain new and more complex fundamentals and techniques on the field. Often in a 1 or 2-day camp, multiple techniques and coaching points are offered with little time to really master any of them. With the weekly setup, we have time to include more detailed coaching, repeat repetitions to build consistency, and have a progressive design to the camps.

Personalized & Responsive Coaching

Generally, all TBF camp sessions have between 20-40 on-field participants at once. I want to keep the group sizes to a point where myself and my other coaches can give personal tips and instruction to each player, regardless of skills level, over the course of camp. Weekend camps run 200-400 kids through in a day or two where the coaching contact and personal instruction is more limited.

Experience & Professionalism

Click on ‘Coach Blum’ on my website to view the experiences I have as an athlete and a coach. I bring a tremendous amount of football know-how straight from Coach Ferentz’s practice fields at Iowa. In addition, I’ve been involved with some great organizations, coaches, teams, and individuals who helped me transition from player to youth coach. I continue to draw from a variety of coaching sources to improve myself as a teacher & a leader. Coaching kids is my profession; I don’t have another day job.

Genuine

You won’t find anyone more genuine or who wants to help your kids more than I do. I don’t coach because I have a kid who plays; I coach because I know the impact that sports has on a kid’s life and I enjoy making a difference for as many of them as I can. Those efforts go far beyond the football field.

Again, any football camp your player can attend this summer is a great. I’m excited to be involved in many coming up, you can see a few under the ‘Playbook’ tab online. I hope to see your players at some of them. For a camp that is going to make an impact on the field this fall, I’d strongly consider the programs I’m offering in Ankeny, Des Moines, Grimes, and Cedar Rapids this summer. I’m expecting to add Bettendorf to the list next summer.

I’ll see you on the field.