Bloomfield Hills Schools will run a three-day pre-season football camp for seventh- and eighth-graders Tuesday, Sept. 1, through Thursday, Sept. 3, at South Hills Middle School, giving future Black Hawks their first taste of the high school playbook before official practice begins.

The camp runs 3:30-5:30 p.m. each day and is open to all BHS middle school players from both North Hills and South Hills middle schools. Coaches will teach football fundamentals and techniques alongside Bloomfield Hills High School's basic offensive plays, according to a district announcement posted Tuesday, Aug. 18.

No equipment is required for the camp itself, though the district strongly recommends football cleats and mouth guards. Both become mandatory the following week when official practice starts. Players must wear black or dark gray shorts and a white top, and should bring a water bottle.

Physicals dated on or after April 15, 2026, must be on file before the first official practice day.

No exceptions.

The camp feeds into a Bloomfield Hills program competing in MHSAA Division 1 this fall under head coach Scott Merchant, who returned to the sideline after open-heart surgery. As we reported Aug. 18, Merchant recovered in time for the season after a routine physical uncovered a dangerous heart defect.

The varsity Black Hawks open their 2026 campaign at home against Harrison Township L'Anse Creuse on Aug. 27. Senior wide receiver Jad Almsaddi, who earned MHSFCA Division 1 Region 2 all-region honors last season after a 140-yard, two-touchdown performance against Royal Oak, returns as a key playmaker in Merchant's offense, MLive reported.

The middle school camp follows a separate "Future Black Hawks" camp Merchant ran July 27-28 at the high school stadium for students in grades 6-8, which cost $100. No cost was listed for the Sept. 1-3 camp.

Questions can be directed to Jerry Meter at [email protected]. Official practice begins the following week, though the district has not announced a specific start date.