In this television interview at KTEN studios in Sherman, Texas, retired Colonel Craig Flowers shares the vision that inspired the creation of Shockley Sports Camps and introduces the upcoming Air It Out Football Passing Camp. More importantly, he explains why youth athletics should be about more than developing stronger, faster, or more skilled players. Every camp is built around the belief that sports provide one of life’s greatest opportunities to develop leadership, confidence, discipline, teamwork, and character. Athletic instruction is only part of the mission. The larger goal is helping young people become successful students, teammates, leaders, and citizens long after their playing days have ended.

In this television interview at KTEN studios in Sherman, Texas, on July 21, 2026, Colonel Craig Flowers discusses the vision behind Shockley Sports Camps and introduces the Air It Out Football Passing Camp coming to Sherman, Texas on July 18.

But those achievements are temporary if they are not accompanied by qualities such as integrity, discipline, leadership, confidence, perseverance, teamwork, and personal responsibility.

Those are the qualities young people will carry with them long after their playing days are over.

Under the leadership of retired Colonel Craig Flowers, Shockley Sports Camps brings together experienced coaches who share a common philosophy.

Every camp is designed to provide outstanding sports instruction while also helping athletes develop the habits and character traits that contribute to success in school, careers, families, and communities.

Whether an athlete eventually competes in high school, college, or beyond, the lessons learned through sports have value that extends far beyond the scoreboard.

Shockley Sports Camps recognizes that parents play one of the most important roles in an athlete’s development.

For that reason, the organization encourages parents to become active participants in the learning experience, providing insights and resources that help reinforce the lessons athletes are learning both on and off the field.

Developing confident young people is a partnership between coaches and families.

One of the goals of Shockley Sports Camps is to bring exceptional coaching and instruction to communities throughout Northeast Texas.

Athletes should not have to travel hundreds of miles to receive high-quality instruction from experienced coaches.

By partnering with respected organizations such as Air It Out Passing Camps and assembling accomplished coaching staffs, Shockley Sports Camps provides opportunities that combine elite athletic instruction with leadership development and personal growth.

The Air It Out Passing Camp represents only the beginning.

As Shockley Sports Camps continues to grow, athletes and families can expect additional camps, educational resources, coaching insights, leadership training, and opportunities designed to help young people become their very best.

Because the greatest victories in sports are often measured not only by championships, but by the character we help build along the way.

COL (ret.) J. Craig Flowers brings a lifetime of leadership experience to Shockley Sports Camps as our coach for Leader & Character Development.

His 25+ years in our military encompassed nearly a decade overseas, including three years in The Kingdom of Morocco as a diplomat and military attaché. His final military assignment was at West Point where he taught and later served as a Director of Cadet Activities and Assistant Baseball Coach for the record setting Army West Point Black Knights.

Craig attended Texas Christian University earning a degree in Economics while playing baseball for the Horned Frogs. He earned a M.A. from Kansas University and is fluent in French. He trained, specialized, and operated in the field of Military Intelligence.

Craig has dedicated his post-military career to helping athletes, coaches, educators, and business leaders understand what separates good teams from elite teams. At Shockley Sports Camps, his mission extends beyond the playing field. Through lessons in character, accountability, resilience, teamwork, and servant leadership, he helps young athletes develop the habits and mindset needed to succeed not only in sports, but throughout life.

Throughout a distinguished military career spanning more than 25 years, Colonel (ret.) J. Craig Flowers served in leadership roles involving military intelligence, strategic planning, international diplomacy, and organizational development. His experiences leading teams, solving complex challenges, and developing future leaders provided lessons that extend far beyond military service.

During his final assignment at West Point, Craig taught cadets, served as Director of Cadet Activities, and helped coach the Army West Point Black Knights baseball program during one of the most successful periods in the team’s history. There he witnessed firsthand how discipline, accountability, preparation, and teamwork contribute to success both on the field and in life.

Those same principles are at the heart of athlete development.

Young athletes face adversity, pressure, competition, setbacks, and opportunities every day. Coach Flowers helps athletes understand that leadership is not reserved for team captains or future executives. Leadership begins with personal responsibility, character, work ethic, and the ability to make good decisions when challenges arise.

The lessons contained in the book mirror many of the same values Colonel Flowers shares with athletes at Shockley Sports Camps.

Shockley Sports Camps believes that sports provide an opportunity to teach lessons that extend far beyond athletic performance.

While athletes attend camps to improve their skills, they also develop habits, attitudes, and values that will influence the rest of their lives. Colonel Flowers helps bridge that gap.

His leadership sessions challenge athletes to think beyond the next game, the next season, or the next scholarship opportunity. Instead, they are encouraged to consider the type of teammate, leader, family member, employee, and citizen they hope to become.

That perspective aligns perfectly with the mission of Shockley Sports Camps.

The ultimate goal of Shockley Sports Camps is not simply to help athletes perform better.
It is to help them become better people.

Through the combined efforts of athletic instructors, coaches, mentors, and leaders like Colonel Craig Flowers, athletes are encouraged to pursue excellence both on and off the field.

Because while talent may open doors, character determines how far a person ultimately goes.

Contact Shockley Sports Camps

Air It Out Passing Camp Details

Presented by Shockley Sports Camps

Who: Quarterbacks and Receivers aged 12-18 (capped at 150 players).

What: Air It Out Passing Camp presented by Shockley Sports Camps

When: Saturday, July 18, 2026; 8 am – 4 pm.

Where: Sherman High School (indoor football facility) located at 2907 W Travis St Sherman, Tx 75092.

Presented by: Shockley Insurance Agency (ShockleySportsCamps.com).

Registration: Begins at 8 am, and closes at 8:45 Saturday, July 18th in the Sherman HS Indoor Facility Register Online.

Cost: $75 (includes shirt, lunch). Shockley Insurance is funding most of the cost of attendance (normally $275). Therefore, your $75 total payment may be made on the phone or on the morning of registration on Saturday, July 18th (check, cash or Venmo are accepted).

Jake Shockley met Coach Wartes in Abilene, TX in March 2026. Over dinner the two leaders discussed the possibility of this north Texas event. Shockley requested the same elements of faith and leadership be incorporated into the Sherman AIO event. The ideal partner, Shockley’s core values, align perfectly with AIO. ‘At Shockley we want to Know you, Care for you, Educate you (as risk advisers) and ultimately Serve you by protecting what you have that is worth protecting’.

“We decided to present the North Texas Air It Out Passing Camp to give back to the Texas region that has done so much our family. It’s the right thing to do; I knew it the moment I met Coach Wartes”. – Jake Shockley

Sherman High School: Our host. The Bearcats’ Director of Athletics and former Baylor Baseball Player, Alan McDougal gladly opened the doors to Sherman’s brand-new indoor football facility for this one-day only event (capped at 150 participants). We expect this event to fill quickly.

Parents: Shortly after player registration on the morning of Saturday, July 18th, we will host a 30 minute ‘Parents Only’ session in an adjacent classroom. Native Texan and US Army Colonel (ret.) J. Craig Flowers will lead a discussion on parenting & leadership during these uncertain times, including a discussion on cell phones and social media. He is the co-author of “A Colonel and A Cowboy”, a #1 Best Selling Book co-authored with World Champion tie-down rodeo roper Stran Smith of Childress. TX. A former TCU baseball player, Colonel Flowers’ final active-duty military assignment was on the banks of the Hudson River, West Point.

Lunch (provided by Shockley Insurance): During the on-site lunch break. Colonel Flowers will host a class for the players on “How the Most Elite Teams in the World Behave in order to Win”.

What to Bring: Quarterbacks – bring the football you throw with (we will have some footballs on hand as well as an air pump). All: cleats (preferably ones that are broken in), flats (tennis shoes), shorts, shirt, water bottle (sunscreen in the event we venture outside) and NOTEBOOK and PEN.

You will have very little use for and even less time to use your cell phone. Be sure you have a name and FULL address of someone you want to receive your hand-written thank you note aka a historical document (including ZIP code). Note: You may choose to write more than one Thank You note (we will provide the stamp/postage and thank you cards). We will mail them. Finally, bring a gracious and positive attitude.

Alan Wartes: The Coach Behind
Air It Out Passing Camps

More Than Three Decades of Developing Quarterbacks, Receivers, and Leaders

Few coaches have influenced Texas quarterbacks and receivers more than Alan Wartes.

For more than three decades, Coach Wartes has dedicated his life to helping young athletes improve their skills, strengthen their character, and prepare for success both on and off the field. As founder of Air It Out Passing Camps and former offensive coordinator at Hardin-Simmons University, his impact reaches far beyond wins, losses, statistics, and championships.

His story is one of leadership, innovation, mentorship, and a commitment to developing young people.

Coach Wartes served as Offensive Coordinator at Hardin-Simmons University from 1990 through 2010, helping establish one of the most productive and respected offensive programs in the nation.

During that time, Hardin-Simmons offenses generated more than 60,000 passing yards and 576 touchdown passes. His quarterbacks and receivers became known for their preparation, discipline, and understanding of the game.

His offensive systems became so successful that coaches from high schools, colleges, and football programs throughout the country studied and adopted concepts from the Hardin-Simmons playbook.

While Coach Wartes enjoyed tremendous success at the collegiate level, he saw an opportunity to help athletes long before they reached college.

In 1990, he founded Air It Out Passing Camps with a simple mission:

To provide young quarterbacks, receivers, running backs, and tight ends with the highest level of instruction, skill development, and mentorship possible.

What began as a football camp grew into one of the most respected passing camp organizations in Texas and the Southwest.

Thousands of athletes have attended Air It Out events over the years, learning not only the technical skills required to compete at a higher level, but also the habits and attitudes necessary for long-term success.

What separates Air It Out from many football camps is its commitment to developing the whole athlete.

From the beginning, Coach Wartes believed that football provides an opportunity to teach lessons that extend far beyond the field.

The camp’s mission emphasizes helping young men become successful not only as athletes, but also as students, leaders, teammates, husbands, fathers, and members of their communities.

Over the years, countless athletes have improved their throwing mechanics, route running, footwork, and football IQ under Coach Wartes’ instruction.
Yet many former campers and players speak just as highly about the life lessons they learned as they do about the football instruction they received.
That influence continues today through Air It Out Passing Camps and the coaches, players, and leaders whose lives have been shaped by Coach Wartes’ example.

Shockley Sports Camps is honored to partner with Air It Out and Coach Alan Wartes as part of our mission to develop athletes, build leaders, and strengthen communities.

The values that have guided Air It Out for more than three decades—athletic excellence, leadership, character, and personal growth—are the same values that guide Shockley Sports Camps today.

Coach Wartes’ legacy serves as a reminder that great coaches do more than teach sports.

They help shape lives.

And for more than thirty years, Alan Wartes has done exactly that.