Virgil LeVan Seay, a former wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) of the United States, will visit Costa Rica in late August to hold a special youth sports camp. According to a news release filed by Samantha Waldenberg of the official website of the Washington Redskins, Mr. Seay will hold the camp as a friendship gesture towards a man he met when he first visited Costa Rica five years ago.

When Mr. Seay came to Costa Rica on vacation in 2010, he made a lifelong friendship with a Tico named Sergio. His return to our country as a youth football coach is a goodwill offering. In Costa Rica, Mr. Seay plans to hold the “1^st American Football Camp” for 100 teenagers; he will be assisted by four friends and partners who are experienced in football coaching.

At Mr. Seay’s camp, the young attendants will learn about the fundamentals of the game, stretching, running and positioning in the gridiron, and receiver drills. Principles of team work, discipline and perseverance will also be taught at this special camp.

Mr. Seay has been involved in youth and collegiate athletics coaching since his last season in the NFL, which he spent with the Atlanta Falcons.

Mr. Seay is a Super Bowl XVII champion; he was part of “The Fun Bunch,” a dominant group of pass catchers who were famous not only for their athletic ability and excellent performance under legendary coach Joe Gibbs but also for their lavish touchdown celebrations in the end zone. These choreographed celebrations consisted of leaping high-fives, and they were very efficient insofar as firing up the fans in the early 1980s, a time some sports historians consider to have been a mini Golden Age for the NFL. Alas, the NFL would later crack down on The Fun Bunch and their flashy celebrations.

As previously reported by The Costa Rica Star, American football is not very popular in Costa Rica, but it is attracting attention. There is even a formal league that is properly affiliated with international organizations dedicated to the game.