"I felt great and I thought I did a good job," Bolton said of the hand-slapping gesture.

The two-day camp with two sessions each day is being conducted by the Joe Salave'a Foundation. Salave'a, a player with the NFL's Washington Redskins, wanted to repay the local community even though he's not from Hawai'i. He considers Hawai'i his second home and will be putting on his fourth camp in American Samoa later this week.

"They see us on the TV and whether we want it or not, they consider us people to look up to," Salave'a said. "At the end of the day, all the money you make will mean nothing if you don't reach out and help the next person."

The players involved in the camp did more than teach different drills and skills for the various football positions, they shared their experiences and provided support and advice.

That was one reason why Pisa Tinoisamoa, a former University of Hawai'i player who is a linebacker with the St. Louis Rams, wanted to help. He recalled attending a similar type of camp while growing up in San Diego that made a difference in his life.

"It was a chance for me to see other professional athletes, those you look up to and see them working with you and trying to give their knowledge to you," Tinoisamoa said. "That little bit helped me go ahead, press on and bypass whatever obstacles I faced.

"I came out just to show I support you and sometimes that's what people need, the kind of support that people do care."

Kekai Newman, 11, of Nanakuli said he learned that "it takes a lot of time to become a football player and that you have to be disciplined and have the grades."

The players and members of the State of Hawai'i Organization of Police Officers spoke to the campers about the value of education and perseverance in life.

"Bottom line is education," Salave'a said. "With education, you can decide for yourself what you want to do. Having the different people from the NFL and law enforcement come, it reinforces what I have to say in regards to the importance of education and where you want to go."

Lincoln Gayagos, whose son Sam participated in the camp, enjoyed the different messages presented to the campers.

"It was great that these guys are giving back to the community," said Gayagos, who lives in 'Aiea. "It reinforces the message that hard work gets you places and there's other professions besides football."

Salave'a was more than pleased with yesterday's turnout. The afternoon session attracted nearly 100 participants.

"I was ecstatic," Salave'a said. "It's our first year so we're trying to build our way into this thing and the response has been awesome. At the end of the day we want to regroup and come back in the morning."

Nanakuli's Pop Warner program brought in two bus loads of campers while Waialua brought in another, adding to Wayne Hunter's surprise when he arrived yesterday.

"I drove up the street and I looked to my right and all these kids were in the bleachers," said Hunter, a former UH player who is an offensive tackle with the Seattle Seahawks. "It caught me by surprise."

Yesterday's camp also inspired several. For 11-year-old Deja-rae Wagner, she hopes to make her high school football team. For 31-year-old Itula Mili, a Kahuku High graduate with the Seahawks, he wants to follow in Salave'a's footsteps.

"I'm pretty inspired by what he's done, especially down in Samoa," said Mili. "That's something I personally want to do myself, give to the community.

"It gives them a chance that believing is more than just a dream."

The Hawai'i Youth Football Camp will hold two more sessions today from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Check-in is one hour before each session. Parental waiver required for registration. For more information, call Rick Sakata at 896-2140.