A strong group of local youths received training and were primed for the coming football season at this year’s Peanut City Football Camp, which featured one generation of Suffolk Steelers teaching another, as well as the return of cheerleading.

“It was a great success this year,” said Robert Faulk, president of the Suffolk Inner City Athletic Association, which orchestrates the event at the John F. Kennedy Athletic Complex. He noted there were about 70 youths involved in the football camp on Saturday, slightly more than average, ranging in age from 5 to 15.

There were also seven girls who participated in the cheerleader training.

Norfolk State University’s offensive coordinator/receivers coach Donald Hill-Eley, who got his start as a player with the Steelers, led the football training, with help from other coaches.

He said they “had a lot of good, talented kids out there, so it was a pleasure working with them.”

Sha’ka Miller, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach for King’s Fork High School, helped coach on Saturday and said the youths participated enthusiastically, “and I think it was a great experience, and they learned a whole lot. And it felt great coming back to the place where I started playing my football and just giving back to the community.”

Last year, the camp featured more one-on-one drills, but with the group of youths together as a whole, Miller said.

“This year, we brought some bags and hoops out here and cones, so the kids actually did more drills, and we split them up into individual positions so they can get some of the things they’re going to get later on in the season already,” he said.

Twelve-year-old Leonta Johnson said, “I learned a lot of stuff about quarterbacking.”

Hill-Eley said they did a tackling circuit and agility circuit, but then he also spent time talking with the youths about life. He emphasized being respectful to people, getting good grades and how they would only get out of football what they put into it.

“Life is all about choices and the ones you make are going to determine how far you go with anything,” he said. “And so they listened, and it seems like if you’re able to reach one or two, that’s the whole key.”

Twelve-year-old Isaiah Tucker enjoyed the camp, learning new playing techniques and some of the intangibles of football, as well.

“I learned how to show respect on the field,” he said.

Experienced cheerleaders Tasha Walker, Danielle Cross and Donica Parker helped teach two basic cheers to a small group of girls ages 5 to 9, who also learned about arm movement and the importance of being fit in cheering.

“They’re real pumped up, and the parents were very excited that we’re bringing cheer back to the area,” Walker said. “This is the first year that they’ve had cheerleading for quite some time, so we didn’t expect a huge turnout.”

The camp and the cookout that followed, intended for youths throughout the city, also served to prepare Steelers players for today, the first day of practice, 6 p.m. at the JFK Athletic Complex.