UFL Youth Clinics Bring Football, Fun and Opportunity to St. Louis

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UFL St. Louis Battlehawks

UFL Youth Clinics Bring Football, Fun and Opportunity to St. Louis

June 10, 2025 - United Football League (UFL)
St. Louis Battlehawks News Release


ST. LOUIS - With nearly 200 young athletes filling the field at Missouri Baptist University on Tuesday, the UFL's commitment to its communities was on full display. As part of UFL Championship Week festivities in St. Louis, the league hosted two youth clinics: a flag football camp for students in grades 5-12 and a traditional skills clinic for athletes in grades 7-12.

Among the staff were two familiar faces to spring professional football and to the local football community-St. Louis-area natives and former XFL players Jacoby Jones and Kaleb Eleby.

Jones, a McCluer North alum and former defensive end for the Orlando Guardians in 2023, was energized by the chance to once again pour into the next generation of players.

"It was a big opportunity to impact the kids," Jones said. "Being around ball, being able to see them enjoy themselves, laugh and learn-we get to teach them the little things. I get enjoyment out of it even if I'm not playing, so I live through the kids."

The event was especially meaningful for Jones, who runs youth camps each summer in St. Louis through his family's Jones Way Foundation, alongside his brother Keith Jones Jr., defensive line coach at Appalachian State. Later this month, they'll host their third annual "Trench Camp" at McCluer North, along with their first-ever Community Day, which will include free health screenings and sports physicals.

"It means a lot to me because I'm not playing ball right now, so it shows that I still care," Jones added. "I still appreciate what I have done and what I can give back to the kids. I love to see the smiles on their faces."

For Eleby-a Pattonville High School graduate and former quarterback for the Houston Roughnecks-the event was a full-circle moment in his hometown.

"I think it's great. The kids enjoying themselves is what's most important and I'm glad I get to be a part of that," Eleby said. "To be a part of this, it's an incredible experience-still being around the game, involved with the UFL. I love the opportunity to still continue to contribute, and I'm still finding ways to do that."

While both Jones and Eleby hope to return to the UFL as players, they were quick to acknowledge how meaningful it is to remain part of the league's ecosystem even while not on a roster. Their presence is a testament to the UFL's ongoing mission to be a "league of opportunity"-a place where involvement in the game doesn't end when the playing stops.

Hosting Tuesday's event was Missouri Baptist head football coach Jason Burianek, who saw the clinic as a win for both the young attendees and his own team and staff.

"Man, the kids are loving it," Burianek said. "And I love the fact that they incorporated a flag camp. It brings in a lot of the younger athletes. Flag football is starting to become a lot bigger, especially at the small college level girls flag football is really growing. So the fact the UFL is incorporating that with a younger group, these kids are out here having fun and learning. It's awesome."

Burianek also brought several of his own coaching staff and players into the clinic as instructors-an opportunity he says benefits everyone involved.

"The UFL is right in our wheelhouse as a small college," he said. "More opportunities for our athletes to get professional playing time is fantastic. That's what they all dream of. That partnership and getting to meet some of these people early on, it never hurts."

Burianek noted that connections forged through events like this could blossom into coaching or playing opportunities down the road.

"I love working with the UFL," he said. "They're just such down-to-earth, hardworking people. It's a great opportunity for our athletes and our coaches."

As Championship Week continues in St. Louis, events like these highlight the UFL's ongoing commitment to some of its core values: opportunity, community and the love of the game.

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