Over two jampacked mornings of drills, scrimmages and nonstop energy, 133 young athletes from across the Upper Peninsula huddled together last weekend for a rare experience — training with the Detroit Lions.

Held Saturday and Sunday at the Munising Middle/High School practice field, the sold-out Lions Fundamentals Mini-Camp marked the team’s first visit to the U.P. in more than a decade, and Munising made sure it was worth the wait.

“We were one of the fastest camps to sell out,” Munising High School varsity football coach Matt Mattson said. “Out of 30 camps the Lions put on, only four sold out — and we were one of them. That speaks volumes.”

Open to kids ages 6 to 14, the two-day, non-contact camp focused on both offensive and defensive fundamentals, character development and USA Football’s Shoulder Tackling System.

Instruction came from a team of 15 coaches — a mix of collegiate, high school and Lions-affiliated staff — who ran athletes through fast-paced drills and capped each day with a spirited NFL Flag Football scrimmage.

The goal, said Lions Football Education Manager Nik Sadona, was simple: Build confidence through fundamentals and fun.

“Some kids might not be as talented, but we praise effort, we praise learning and we teach them that it’s OK to make mistakes,” Sadona said. “If you drop a pass or miss a block, you have another chance. That’s what this is about.”

Sadona, whose parents are from Marquette and L’Anse, pushed to bring the program back to the U.P. after a 10-year hiatus.

“I grew up coming to Munising — my aunt has a cabin near the Buckhorn — and I knew this would be the perfect place,” he said. “The fan base here is close to my heart.”

His aunt, Cindy Sadona, still lives locally.

“We’re hoping to make this a yearly thing,” he said.

And the team’s effort may already be paying off.

“My favorite story from the weekend was this kid who came running by yelling, ‘I used to be a fan of the Packers, but I’m a Lions fan now,’” Sadona said. “He was so excited. That made my weekend.”

Nicole Lasak, Munising Middle/ High School’s principal and athletic director, helped make it happen, shifting plans to the practice field when rain threatened Saturday’s schedule.

“They brought everything — staff, equipment — and made it easy for us,” she said.

Lasak said the camp gave kids something they rarely experience.

“Detroit is a long haul,” she said. “For a lot of kids in this area, this is their first personal connection with an NFL program. It’s a big deal.”

Mattson agreed. “This is year one — we had 133 kids,” he said. “Maybe next year we have 200. Every parent I talked to commented on how beautiful our town is. Some hadn’t planned to stay overnight, but they got a hotel and made a weekend out of it.”

The camp drew kids from as far as Escanaba and Sault Ste. Marie. For locals like Jaris Goings Jr., 14, the opportunity was more than just a break from summer.

“I learned stances for receivers, how to line up and a bunch of stuff for all the positions,” he said.

His favorite part? “The flag football,” he said. “It was just fun.”

For Goings’ father, Jaris Sr., the weekend brought more than nostalgia.

“A lot of times we don’t get Lions up here — we’re invaded by Packer country,” he said. “We’re trying to take back the U.P. and show everybody we’re Lions fans.”

The elder Goings, a former player himself, was impressed by the level of coaching.

“There were college and high school coaches, all teaching differently,” he said. “Maybe our kids picked up something new that really stuck.”

That belief was echoed by 13-year-old Trey Mattson, Coach Mattson’s son.

“They’ve worked all the positions,” he said. “Linebacker, tight end — everything. It’s a fun, exciting experience, and you actually learn. Not like school,” he added with a smirk.

Trey’s classmate Braylin Calhoun, also 13, said meeting other kids from across the U.P. was a highlight.

“It was just a really good opportunity for kids to meet people,” he said. “Especially for kids who are Lions fans.”

Coach Mattson, a self-proclaimed diehard Packers fan, even found himself swayed.

“I was in there yelling ‘One Pride’ like the rest of them,” he said with a laugh. “The Lions have it rolling right now.”

And as the Lions packed up their gear and headed back south, Munising’s pride lingered — not just in memories of drills and scrimmages, but in the promise of something bigger.

“We’re already excited for next year,” Sadona said. “The U.P. showed up.”