Jun. 27—When Duncan Shackelford first started putting on the annual Alaska Solstice Football Camp 11 years ago, it was originally just for offensive and defensive linemen, and only 14 youths participated.
It’s grown significantly over the past decade, and just when he thought last year’s attendance record of nearly 150 kids couldn’t be beat, this year’s camp more than doubled that figure.
Just over 300 teens, ranging from incoming freshmen to rising seniors, had signed up by the first day of the three-day event at West Anchorage High School after he and his co-organizers decided to open up the camp to all positions.
“Instead of calling it the Alaska Solstice Linemen’s Camp, let’s make it the Alaska Solstice Football Camp and get everybody here,” Shackelford said. “I wasn’t sure, and then (coaches) Walter (Harmon) and Tim (Davis) said, ‘Let’s give it a shot and see.'”
A big factor driving the heightened interest was the unique and invaluable opportunity this year’s camp offered participants.
It featured over a dozen Alaska football legends who either previously played, are currently playing or are coaching at the college or NFL level. Not only did attendees take part in position drills to learn and refine their understanding of the sport’s fundamentals, they also heard about the journeys and experiences of those who’d reached its highest levels.
“It shows them what’s possible,” Shackelford said. “For these kids to see all the positive effort that these guys have expended to get them to where they’re at and be able to teach these things now is just imperative for our kids.”
He thinks its “amazing” how the last 25 years have led to an explosion in Alaska kids going off to college and beyond for football.
“These kind of camps is what helps bring that level of experience and just getting to know what is currently out there in the state,” Shackelford said. “We feel good about what we got going. We got great people, and it’s just good to see it all come together.”
Importance of paying it forward
Highlighting the list of 2026 camp ambassadors were Edefuan Ulofoshio, a third-year inside linebacker with the Cleveland Browns, and former NFL offensive lineman Chris Kuper, who now coaches that position group for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Both wrapped up their teams’ offseason programs and decided to spend part of their treasured and abbreviated time off giving back to the next generation, before reconvening for the start of training camp in July.
“It means the world,” Ulofoshio said. “When I was a kid and tried to look up football players, you’d see (Anchorage’s) Mark Schlereth and that was about it. I always believed that we could get kids to come down here and be NFL athletes.”
Ulofoshio, a former South Anchorage standout, wholeheartedly believes that seeing and teaching helps kindle the belief within kids that they can reach great heights in the sport with the right mindset, support and work ethic.
“I came back and heard we don’t even have a Boys & Girls Club anymore, and that kind of breaks your heart, but just getting involved with things like this helps these guys learn the game, and hopefully we get a pipeline,” Ulofoshio said.
Kuper was one of the Alaskans beside Schlereth who Ulofoshio looked up to growing up and made it to the highest level. The former Dimond High standout played nearly a decade in the league, all with the Denver Broncos, and he takes pride in being a role model for others.
“Being that guy for these (kids) to say that I grew up in Anchorage, that doesn’t mean that football ends for me in Anchorage,” Kuper said. “I just worked and worked and put my head down and got drafted. I wasn’t a high draft pick, and worked and worked, and I became a starter.”
Among the current and former collegiate players in the counselors’ ranks were South’s Jackson Harmon, fresh off a national championship run at Montana State, and West’s Alani Makihele, who just wrapped up his college career at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
“These are the kind of kids that are getting the opportunity to get out there in front of colleges these days,” Shackelford said. “Colleges aren’t afraid to come up to Alaska and take a look at a kid now. … Just because you live in Alaska, it doesn’t mean you can’t get a look.”
Kuper hopes the ambassadors can serve as a source of motivation for the camp participants they interacted with.
“It gives you tangible people that you can point to and be like, ‘He grew up right around here,’ ” Kuper said.
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