FOOTBALL: Koenen gives back with kids camp

FERNDALE - Michael Koenen would consider his annual youth football camp a success whether five kids showed up or 100 were on hand because it's a chance for the former Ferndale High School and Western Washington University standout to give back to the community he still thinks of as home.

So when more than 140 children registered early for the event and another 20 or 30 signed up the day of on Saturday, June 5, not only was Koenen blown away by the turn out, but the Atlanta Falcons' punter and kickoff specialist couldn't wait to share football with so many Whatcom County kids.

"Any time you have kids come out and they are having a good time and there is a smile on their face then it's worth it," Koenen said. "If five kids come out and they are smiling and having a good time than it's a job well done. Today we have a lot more kids than that here. That means there will be a lot more smiles, but it's doesn't mean any less or any more. I just want these kids to have a good time. That's my goal."

Decked out in red Michael Koenen All-Star Football Kids Camp T-shirts and NFL wristbands children in third through eighth grade ran through conditioning drills, technique stations, and small scrimmages for about four hours at Ferndale High School.

Also helping Koenen at the camp were Atlanta Falcons teammates, running back Jerious Norwood, defensive lineman Thomas Johnson, former NFL players Boone Stutz and Alex Bannister, and several members of the Ferndale High School football team.

"It's a great thing for the little guys," Ferndale coach Jamie Plenkovich said. "It's really an awesome deal."

The camp was sponsored by the NFL and put on in conjunction with Multop Financial, Ferndale High School, and the Boys and Girls Club of Whatcom County. It also included an NFL vs. Whatcom County alumni basketball game in the evening at the gym in Ferndale.

"The great thing about this is that I think it's a time when everybody can come together," Koenen said. "These kids can learn about football and have a good time. Then at the basketball game people can get together and see people they haven't seen in a long time. This is something I would like to do every year. I'd like to see this keep growing."

Koenen, 27, is entering his sixth season with the Falcons. He's become one of the top punters in the NFL and his punting units consistently ranks among the top in the league in punts downed inside the 20-yard line and fewest return yards allowed.

After spending five seasons with the Atlanta Falcons he feels like he's starting to settle in to life as a pro football player.

"Every year you learn something new," Koenen said. "You learn about the NFL in general, how to be a professional, and what to worry about and what not to. It just becomes more comfortable."

As much as Atlanta is becoming a second home to Koenen and his wife Devin they never stray too far from their Whatcom County roots. The couple has purchased some land near Lynden with the idea that they'd like to move back some day.

Until then Koenen will have to settle for spending a few months out of the year back in Whatcom County and making the occasional trip to Seattle when the Seahawks show up on the Falcons' schedule. This season Atlanta is scheduled to come to Seattle for a game on December 19. It's the Falcons' first trip to Seattle since Koenen's rookie season in 2005.

"It's always fun to come back here and play," Koenen said. "Everybody I know from around here can come down and watch. I think my mom had already tried to buy up every ticket in the stadium."

And after coaching around 170 kids on Saturday, it's likely Koenen and the Falcons will have a few more fans in Whatcom County.

"In the game of life it's all about helping people out and football is a way to do that," Koenen said. "That's something I enjoy being able to do.