June 15, 2025 — San Francisco 49ers All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey came to Fresno on Friday, June 13, to host a Youth Football Camp at San Joaquin Memorial High School. FlexWork Sports Management, an event management and sports marketing company specializing in sports camps and athlete appearances, organized the event.
Originally, beloved wide receiver Deebo Samuel was supposed to appear, but when he was traded, they found a replacement in the three-time Pro Bowler.
Around 672 kids and their families showed up to Memorial Stadium. The camp was for boys and girls from ages 6-16. Niners Nation showed up big time to the event, decked out in their jerseys to see the former Heisman hopeful.
McCaffrey, an All-American standout from Stanford, was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in 2017 and played with the team until 2022. He was traded to the 49ers and became a major contributing factor on the team, putting up some of the best statistics in his career and leading them to the Super Bowl in 2023. He’s been healing from a leg injury he sustained during the 2024 season.
The stands were so full that an outsider would have assumed a game was taking place. There were vendors providing food and drinks to cool off during the hot day. They were also selling McCaffrey shirts along with photos of him and autographs.
Each participant received a camp-themed shirt that they wore during the camp. The DJ was playing hits ranging from classic rock, hip-hop, and pop.
McCaffrey received applause from fans the moment he appeared. He took photos with the kids and their families in front of a FlexWork backdrop, even including the coaches and staff. The youth and fans were excited to see an NFL superstar in their presence.
Haron Lopez, father to Troy from Selma, took his son to the camp as an early birthday present. “He wanted to meet an NFL player or go to a game. His birthday is in September. We saw on Instagram there were camps. My wife and I wanted to surprise him,” said Lopez.
He and his wife told him the night before that he was going to the camp, to which he responded with shock and joy. Surprisingly, the Lopez family are Denver Broncos fans, but they weren’t going to miss out on an opportunity to see a high-profile athlete and create memories like the others in attendance.
“It’s amazing because it’s going to be an impactful day for them and probably propel them for the future to be an NFL player one day, and that dreams aren’t impossible and they can achieve it, and he’s a great example that hard work pays off,” said Lopez.
The campers were in groups and would rotate from drill to drill. McCaffrey spent most of his time taking photos with the campers and would toss the ball to the group that was rotating their turn with him. Whoever caught it had the glory of catching a pass from an Offensive MVP.
The rest of the coaches would teach the athletes different skills ranging from throwing, catching, running, blocking, and agility using bags and cones.
FlexWork facilitates camps with professional and college athletes all across the country. McCaffrey was on a five-city California tour with stops in Bakersfield, San Jose, Sacramento, and Santa Rosa.
Ethan Canal Fernandez, athlete and creative coordinator, knows the importance of bringing people like McCaffrey to communities that don’t have sports teams and what it means to the fans.
“We love bringing athletes to cities further away from where they play. It’s great for the kids and the parents to see the athlete in the community and spending his time with these kids who love that he’s out there with them,” said Fernandez.
He was pleased with the turnout. “I’m loving it. The parents are great. Everybody is having fun. Christian is great with the kids, and everything is going the way it’s supposed to, and we’re used to these big camps,” said Fernandez.
For more information: https://www.flexworksports.com/