Click the registration icon to register for 2025 Summer Camps and the Fall Season.  

This is the 8th year for the Wide Receiver Academy offered by the High School Coaching Staff for 5th-8th graders.  This Academy/Camp is for players that just want to be around the football... learning the techniques and skills to run a pass play, how to move, position oneself, hand position, etc.  These camps will run concurrently together (Top Gun / WR Academy) and is a great opportunity for anyone. 

Big Nasty 101 will be instructed with Varsity Coach Shoemaker.  Coach Shoe played college football at the University of Oklahoma and was on the 1985 National Championship Team.  He played his final year of eligibility at the University of Minnesota.  This camp is dedicated to football in the trenches.  Leverage, footwork, and mindset are focus areas for this camp. 

Top Gun is for future QB's and will focus on throwing dynamics, route progression and leadership.  Instructed by Coach Newman.

The camps will be held on the following Wednesdays: July 9th, July 16th, July 23rd and July 30th.  

The program runs from 8 to 9:30 AM.  Athletes should wear workout clothes and have football shoes.  Footballs will be provided.  The fee for either the Wide Receiver Academy, Big Nasty 101 or Top Gun Clinic is $75.  Please direct any questions to Jason Opsal at jason.opsal@minnetonkaschools.org.

Click the 'register' button above to sign up for this camp and others.

Learn specific speed techniques and training methods from head football coach, Mark Esch, that will crossover to the football field and every sport.

Football Speed Camp (Grades 5-8)

Fee: $75

Fridays - July 11th, 18th, and 25th

Equipment needed:  shorts, t-shirt, shoes or football cleats.  Athletic wear.  

Grade 5th and 6th  8-9AM

Grade 7th and 8th  9-10AM

Click the 'register' button above to sign up for this camp and others.

The High School Prep Camp focuses on teaching fundamentals along with the Offensive and Defensive schemes that are run at the high school level.  Every player will work at an offensive and defensive position.  This camp provides a great foundation for our 7th and 8th graders as they prepare for their upcoming season in 11-man football.

COST:  $75
EQUIPMENT NEEDED:   Helmet, shoulder pads, mouth guard, cleats, shorts & practice jersey
DATE/TIME: July 28th to July 30th M, Tu, and Wed   6-8pm
LOCATION:  Minnetonka High School - Stadium or Veterans 

Click the 'register' button above to sign up for this camp and others.

Camp Tonka: Football Fundamentals (Grades 5-8)

Camp Tonka is a fast paced, high touch football 'feast' of a camp.  Coach Lombardi, Minnetonka's Defensive Coordinator, will bring his energy and expertise to this camp and your player is guaranteed to be a better football player because of it.  This is a 'do not miss camp'.   

A fun, competitive way to learn football fundamentals.

Wednesdays July 9th, July 16th, July 23rd, and July 30th 10:30am - noon

Equipment needed:  shorts, t-shirt, shoes or football cleats.  Athletic wear. 

Click the 'register' button above to sign up for this camp and others.

Players in the Summer 7 on 7 Passing League will help develop the offensive and defensive skills and fundamentals associated with the passing game. 

COST:  $75
EQUIPMENT NEEDED:  Shorts, Cleats & T-Shirt
DATES/TIMES: 
Grades 3-4  Tuesdays July 8th, July 15th, July 22nd and July 29th from 10:30am - Noon
Grades 5-6  Thursdays July 10th, July 17th, July 24th, and July 31st from 10:30am - Noon
Grades 7-8  Mondays July 7th, July 14th, July 21st and July 28th from 8 - 9:30am

LOCATION:  Minnetonka High School

Click the 'register' button above to sign up for this camp and others.

This camp offers a great opportunity to learn important fundamentals of football in an organized and fun atmosphere.  The Minnetonka High School Coaching Staff, along with former Skippers (now playing college football) and current players, will teach football fundamentals including tackling, blocking, passing, catching, and ball security.  Each night of camp will conclude with fun, competitive games that incorporate these skills.

COST:  $75
EQUIPMENT NEEDED:4th-6th GRADE:   Helmet, shoulder pads, mouth guard, cleats, shorts & practice jersey. 2nd and 3rd GRADE: mouth guard, cleats, shorts and t-shirt.
DATE/TIME:  July 28th to July 30th M, Tu, and Wed      4-6pm
LOCATION:  Minnetonka High School / Stadium or Veterans

Click the 'register' button above to sign up for this camp and others.

Our summer football camps are all instructed by Minnetonka Football's high school coaching staff.  

Coach Esch will be coaching Tonka Speed this summer.

Alma Mater(s): Caledonia High School (MN), University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, University of South Dakota

This is Mark Esch’s 7th year as a Minnetonka Football coach and his 5th as Head Coach.  Mark is a graduate of Caledonia High School and played one year of college football at UW-La Crosse. He began his coaching career at UW-La Crosse and then coached
for a year at White Bear Lake High School.  Mark’s college coaching career began at the University of South Dakota, where he spent
one season before getting back into teaching and coaching at Austin High School.  Mark was the head coach at Mankato West High School from 2006-16 where he led his team to 9 state appearances in 11 seasons while winning two state championships.

Mark is a PE teacher at MHS and lives in Victoria with his wife Sarah and their three daughters.

Mark.Esch@MinnetonkaSchools.org

Coach Lombardi will be instructing Camp Tonka this summer.

Defensive Coordinator

Coach Lombardi enters his first season at Minnetonka and he is very excited to join such a great program with great tradition and community support.   He is also really excited to work alongside Coach Esch because he knows how great he is with kids and the success he has had throughout his years doing it the right way.  

This will be his 25th year of high school coaching in 6A football.   He spent his first 11 years at Wayzata and took over as Defensive Coordinator/Assistant Head Coach in 2003.  From 2003 - 2010, Wayzata had a record of 81-15 with 4 trips to the prep bowl and 3 state championships with defenses in his final four years that only gave up 28 touchdowns over those 47 games.  

He then took over at Maple Grove in 2011 as their head coach and took a program that went 9-18 in the previous three years to a combined record of 102 - 37, with seven trips to the state tournament, five trips to US Bank, two Prep Bowls and a state championship.   

Before his high school coaching, Coach Lombardi coached two years at Eastern Michigan University as a defensive back coach, played professional football for a year for the Ancona Dolphins in Italy in 1997, and played from 1992-1996 at Mankato State University and was a two time All-NCC safety.

Coach Lombardi has been married for 25 years to his wife Jamie and has three children, Joey (23), Maggie (20)  and Allie (20).   They all are extremely excited to be a part of Minnetonka football because they have loved the many games they have got to play in Anderson stadium and are excited to be cheering on the home side!  Go Tonka!  Let's get it rolling!

Coach Croyle will be instructing 7 on 7 this summer.

10th Grade Head Coach
Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks Coach

• Alma Mater(s): Wayzata High School, Bethel University

• 19th season with the Skippers

Prior to this, he held several positions with the varsity program including offensive coordinator, quarterbacks, wide receivers and safeties coach.

John is a graduate of Bethel University with a BA degree in History and Social Studies Education and was a 3-year starter as a wide receiver under Steve Johnson, earning All-MIAC honors there.

John is a Social Studies teacher at MHS. He and his wife Mikaela reside in Waconia with their six children. John.Croyle@MinnetonkaSchools.org
Twitter: @CoachCroyle

Coach Newman will be coaching Top Gun and 7 on 7.

Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach

Alma Mater(s): Red Wing High School, UW-Eau Claire

Joel enters his 7th year coaching at Minnetonka High School, where he coaches freshmen quarterbacks. Joel was a quarterback and team captain at UW-Eau Claire, graduating in 2016 with degrees in Spanish Education and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages).

Joel teaches Spanish Immersion at Minnetonka Middle School East. He lives in Minneapolis.

Email: Joel.Newman@MinnetonkaSchools.org

Coach Opsal will be instructing WR Academy this summer.

Wide Receivers & Quarterbacks Coach

Alma Mater(s): Buffalo High School, Gustavus Adolphus College

Coach Opsal enters his 12th year on the staff and is in charge of varsity receivers. Prior to joining Minnetonka, Opsal spent five seasons at Thousand Oaks High School (California) and three seasons coaching college football at Pacific Lutheran (Washington), California Lutheran and Gustavus Adolphus. He is a 2004 graduate of Gustavus and a 1999 graduate of Buffalo High School. Along with his coaching duties, Opsal serves as a Health and Physical Education teacher at Minnetonka High School.

Coach Opsal and his wife, Molly, reside in Chanhassen