Hundreds of kids had the opportunity to take part in a football camp earlier this month hosted by Super Bowl Champion and Seattle Seahawks Quarterback Russell Wilson.

Among the hundreds of children attending were 30 Washington National Guard military youth who saved their parents hundreds of dollars thanks to scholarships provided by The Association of Washington Generals.

The Russell Wilson Passing Academy (RWPA) was held July 11 in the University of Washington stadium, and again on July 19 in the Starfire Center in Tukwila.

Proof that anyone can share the goals of humility, resiliency, and hard work with a professional sports athlete, was clear to parents after seeing their young ones participate in the camp.

"I think events like these are important for my son because it shows him that professional ball players are human," said the mother of the academy's MVP and Washington Air National Guard member from Camp Murray Master Sgt. Khalilah Oliver.  "They set goals and worked hard to accomplish them."

The importance of youth development was apparent to the servicemember parents of the RWPA campers, but it was obvious among the participants as well.

"My passion came from being able to play and grow at the game and show the skills that I worked hard to gain over the years," said 15-year-old Terrell "TJ" Banks, who was named Most Valuable Player at the Tukwila July 19 camp.

Although Wilson was undoubtedly a major highlight of the event, at least a few military youth didn't let being star struck hold them back from achieving their full potential.

"Being around Russell Wilson was a cool experience," said TJ, "but I didn't allow that to change how I played."

TJ also made it clear that he didn't receive the MVP award just because he's a military kid.

"I believe I received MVP because I worked very hard during camp and asked questions to do my best," he said.

Although not everyone could be named camp MVP, others were nonetheless able to take with them a valuable education.

"I have always liked Russell Wilson because we both have the disadvantage of our height, and we both find ways to overcome it," said 16-year-old Alex Armstrong.

Although he didn't receive the MVP award, his father's message about the importance of resiliency and youth development through adversity mirrored the RWPA's objectives.

"Alex has always been the little kid in his groups," said his father, Washington National Guardsmember Maj. Eric Armstrong. "Though he has the heart of an athlete, his size has forced him to have to play harder, run faster, and be smarter than his contemporaries. Knowing that some of these same concerns have been voiced by the sportscasters, and the like, about our quarterback, this event provided Alex an opportunity to learn and experience the motivation behind a champion mindset as well as learn new or reinforce his current skills."