Just a couple of months out from football season, Scots coach Ty Smith is expanding his Elevation 801 youth programs to include fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade students this summer, after launching his after-school program for junior high schoolers earlier this year.

In its first two weeks, Elevation 801’s results are encouraging, and the numbers are climbing to where Ogden City Recreation is actively working to merge powers for an array of opportunities, including girls flag football.

“I was shocked to see how many parents can get their kids up here in the middle of the day,” organizer and BL football coach Smith said on Tuesday. “We’re in the middle of putting our heads together.”

The summer agenda, Smith said, is familiarizing students with basic weightlifting and plyometrics (high-intensity jump workouts), while offering a designated “sport of the week” where BL coaches can introduce their respective sport to participants.

Logo supplied by Ty Smith, Ben Lomond High School

Chelsye Saulsberry, who’s coached basketball and volleyball for eight-plus years at BL, is teaching the latter this week.

“We’ve seen a lot more committed athletes of our own get involved,” Saulsberry said. “It’s a great way to see people interested in our community programs, get more people out to see our (teams), come to a game, and build the confidence of our student-athletes.”

Moreover, 801 provides families with a non-cost alternative to other summer camps or personal trainers, Smith said.

Kale Ha’o, a senior at Ben Lomond, is one of those student volunteers taking time during summer break to work with students he views as the next generation.

“It helps bring more kids into the Ben Lomond community,” Ha’o said. “It helps bring up some of them, future athletes that’ll show we have just good people here that’ll help you learn, make more friends, and build a strong community.”

Ha’o is one of the few three-year returners to Smith’s football program, which has already doubled in size from 24 players suiting up in Week 1 of the 2025 season to upwards of 50 currently attending summer workouts, per Scots assistant coach Robert Casagrande.

“I think it’s just a culture shift at our school,” Casagrande said. “Even if they’re not part of this, everyone’s doing some sort of activity. We’ve had a lot of kids coming out. Today, I saw three of the girls who started with (801), now they’re on the soccer team and working out with them, so it’s helping us in our sports.”

Improving athletics participation begins with improving attendance, Smith said, and one facet of his program is creating a safe environment that young students are eager to return to.

As of 2023, Utah saw “chronic absenteeism” (defined as when a student misses 10% of the school year, or roughly 18 days) jump to 26%, according to the state’s board of education.

The end goal of 801 is to reshape how BL attracts students, and they’re hoping to build on existing programming from Ogden City Recreation to push things forward. Ginger Myers, the assistant director for all things recreation, hopes to weave 801 into the city’s “Untamed,” feeder programs for sports like basketball, volleyball and soccer.

“We’re really trying to understand their needs,” Myers said.

“We both have staffs, (Smith) has his coaching staff, and the idea would be to help each other out for the entire year and for the entire community of Ogden, so kids can spread into the two schools.”

Next school year, 801 will return with its after-school program for junior high schoolers. Where Smith hopes to carve out a substantial difference, though, is with an age group that’s beginning to specialize and decide what they want to play.

Getting in on the ground floor with that age group, Smith said, is where real, much-needed strides can be made.

“I’ve kind of changed my mindset to where if we can start focusing on the fourth through sixth grade group, and get them up here and get them involved, then it won’t be as hard whenever they’re in junior high and we get them going through everything,” Smith said. “That’s where we’ve started pushing, and we’re still going to do the junior high (program), but we’re looking at different options right now to be able to bridge and do things with (younger) students as well.”

Connect with prep sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net, X @ctbecker and Instagram @standardexaminersports.