First Team Football Academy Camps

First Team Football Academy Camps offers non-contact and full contact football camps that include agility, conditioning, tackle football technique instruction, blocking, tackling, and position-appropriate drills. The non-contact camp takes place in a controlled environment and includes conditioning and agility work, while the full contact camp uses fully padded sessions to teach, review, and learn basic football fundamentals. FTFA also offers private instruction, group instruction, scholarship consulting, youth summer camps, speed and agility coaching for youth athletes, and Track and Field coaching.

• Schedule: June 8–11, 2026 and June 15–18, 2026, with camp sessions from 5 pm to 8 pm
• Price: $275 for non contact camp; $275 for full contact camp; $495 for combo camps

The non-contact camp is physically and mentally challenging and is described as appropriate for all levels of experience, and it is encouraged for any athlete seeking to improve physical fitness prior to football season. Participants in the non-contact camp are described as increasing their fitness and football IQ and having fun. The full contact camp includes conditioning and agility work, is described as a physically demanding week, and FTFA strongly encourages participants to attend the non-contact camp beforehand. Participants in the full contact camp are described as being prepared for their tackle season and having fun, and combo camps allow participants to save money by enrolling in both camps. A compilation highlight video of the non-contact and full contact camps was made by one of the athletes’ parents.

After years of private instruction, scholarship consulting, and coaching football, First Team Football Academy was started in 2011. FTFA has grown to be described as one of the largest and most effective youth camps in Northern California.

Owner and Head Instructor James Greule was raised in the Sacramento area, first played tackle football as a youth, and tried out for the Oakland Raiders in 1999. His playing background includes Casa Roble High School (1994 graduate, two-year starter at center and defensive end, 2nd team all league), Sacramento City College from 1994–1996 (NJCAA All American, NJCAA Academic All American with a 3.8 GPA, league Defensive Player of the Year, 39 career sacks in two years, team captain, 1st Team All Nor Cal, 1st Team All State, junior college single-season sack record, rated #67 Division I prospect in the nation by Superprep, and over 35 Division I scholarship offers), and Oregon State University from 1997–1998 (full-ride scholarship in the Pac-10, switched to defensive tackle/nose guard, played more reps at defensive tackle than any other player on the team, and recorded 9 career sacks including a multiple-sack game against Stanford). He was awarded a free agent contract and attended camp with Jon Gruden’s Oakland Raiders in 1999. His coaching experience includes Casa Roble High School varsity offensive and defensive line coach and conditioning and agility coach for all three levels (2001–2002), Oak Ridge Junior Trojans defensive coordinator and head coach (2010–2017), defensive coordinator for the Sacramento Youth Conference Shrine Bowl in 2013, head coach for the Sacramento Youth Conference Shrine Bowl in 2017, defensive line coach for American River College in 2018, lead instructor for Linemen Win Games from 2018 to the present, JV defensive line coach at Folsom High School from 2019–2021, and JV defensive coordinator at Folsom High School from 2022 to the present. Since 2011 he has run First Team Football Academy, doing one-on-one and small group training and multiple youth camps in the Sacramento area.

Lead Instructor Jakori Ford is a Sacramento native who played quarterback and defensive back for the Natomas Nighthawks from 2007–2010. He played for Coach Haflich at American River College, then earned a scholarship to Idaho State University, and spent time with the Indianapolis Colts in 2017. His coaching experience includes coaching running backs at Yuba College in Northern California, and he is currently a Graduate Assistant Coach at UC Berkeley while working on his second master’s degree. He coaches speed and agility for youth athletes when his schedule allows and has earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Physical Education.

Lead Instructor Jovan Parler graduated high school in 1995 and was offered a scholarship to play at San Jose State University as a Prop 48 before transferring to Menlo College, where the entire coaching staff consisted of former NFL players. His coaching background includes the PAL SF Seahawks, Mission High School in San Francisco, Castlemont High School in Oakland, the SF Stingrays women’s tackle team, Oak Ridge Junior Trojans, and serving as a 2017 Shrine Team coach. In addition to football, he has coached Track and Field for the Sacramento Speed Factory, a youth USAT program.

Lead Instructor Matt Eleopoulos is a 1994 graduate of Armijo High School, where he started at tight end, linebacker, punter, and kicker and earned MEL honorable mention as a linebacker in 1993. He played for the Solano Chiefs minor league/semi-pro football team from 1996–1997 and 2007–2009. His coaching history includes JV linebacker coach at Armijo High School in 1995, JV defensive coordinator at Armijo High School in 1996, assistant wide receivers coach at Solano College in 1997, wide receivers coach for the Solano Chiefs from 2006–2009, head coach and offensive coordinator for the Solano Chiefs from 2010–2012, head coach and defensive coordinator for Capital City Fury from 2013–2014, offensive coordinator for the River City Royals in 2015, offensive coordinator for the Oak Ridge Junior Trojans in 2017, offensive coordinator for the Sacramento Youth Conference Shrine Bowl in 2017, and freshman offensive coach at Folsom High School from 2022 to the present. He was inducted into the Minor League Football Report Hall of Fame in 2017.

The leadership team also includes Lead Instructor Ryan Battle.

Last updated March 12, 2026.