What is new for Northwoods Drifter in 2026
When March winds still bite and snow patches linger in the Northwoods, hundreds of young football players are already working on their craft inside Rhinelander’s Hodag Dome. The annual Hawgs and Dawgs camp transforms spring break into a celebration of offensive line grit, defensive power, and good old-fashioned Wisconsin football.
Since launching in 2021, this grassroots event has grown from a simple lineman clinic to five specialized sessions drawing 90 to 100 kids per weekend. Wisconsin Badgers players make the trek north to coach alongside local mentors, creating something rare in rural Wisconsin — direct access to Division I talent right in your backyard.
Paul Ellenbecker, Rhinelander’s assistant football coach and the camp’s founder, built this event around a simple idea. Give Northwoods kids the same quality coaching that metro athletes take for granted.
The Hodag Dome’s opening in 2021 created an opportunity Ellenbecker couldn’t ignore. Indoor space meant spring training despite unpredictable Northwoods weather — no more waiting for fields to thaw or dodging April snowstorms.
That first year focused on offensive and defensive linemen, the “hawgs and dawgs” who do football’s tough work in the trenches. Tyler Beach, a former Badger who went on to NFL stints with the Steelers and Titans, showed up as a clinician thanks to connections through Rhinelander Superintendent Eric Burke’s coaching network.
The camp has since expanded to cover quarterback academies, wide receiver routes, running back footwork, and even specialized tackling fundamentals. Sessions now serve athletes from first grade through high school, with equipment like $7,000 flip sleds and hedgehog tackling dummies that impressed even the Badger coaches.
“The goal is to bring Northwoods kids together to compete and play football in the spring. It really unites a lot of communities and football programs.” — Paul Ellenbecker
What makes Hawgs and Dawgs special isn’t just the X’s and O’s. It’s the genuine connection between big-time college athletes and small-town kids who dream of playing at Camp Randall someday.
Michael Roeske, an offensive tackle for the Badgers, attended as a camper during his high school years in Rhinelander. He learned from clinicians like Ben Barten and absorbed lessons that eventually helped him earn a scholarship. Now he’s back on the other side, teaching the same techniques that shaped his game.
The 2025 camp drew Badger linemen and former Rhinelander standouts like Drake Martin, Joe Fugle, Peyton Erikson, and Connor Lund. Kids from Antigo, Lakeland, Merrill, Wausau, and even Milwaukee suburbs make the drive to learn from coaches who actually play the game at the highest levels.
Competition drives improvement, and Hawgs and Dawgs creates healthy rivalry among Great Northern Conference schools. Athletes who face each other during fall Friday nights spend March mornings working side-by-side, pushing each other to get better.
The camp structure covers fundamentals that matter:
Parents pay $60 per session, fees that fund new equipment and support the Hodag Gridiron Club. That investment returns dividends when kids show up to fall camp with refined technique and confidence built from competing against peers across the region.
Some campers have attended all five years since 2021, creating a core group that returns annually to sharpen skills and reconnect with coaches who remember their progress.
Ask any Northwoods coach about spring football challenges, and weather tops the list. Frozen fields, unpredictable temperatures, and lingering snow make outdoor practice a gamble through April.
The Hodag Dome solves that problem. Consistent indoor conditions let athletes focus on development instead of survival. Turf stays fast, temps stay comfortable, and coaches can run complex drills without worrying about mud or ice.
This indoor advantage extends Rhinelander’s athletic season and positions the community as a regional hub for youth sports. Families traveling from Merrill or Antigo often make a day of it, supporting local restaurants and businesses while their kids train.
Every camp includes at least one success story — a former participant now playing college ball who returns to give back. That pipeline from the Hodag Dome to bigger stages validates what Ellenbecker built and inspires younger athletes to chase their own football dreams.
Tyler Beach’s journey from Badger to NFL represents the ceiling, but plenty of campers have earned spots at Division II and III programs across Wisconsin. The exposure to college-level coaching creates realistic pathways and helps kids understand what it takes to compete beyond high school.
Badger clinicians don’t just teach technique. They share what campus life looks like, how recruiting works, and what coaches want to see on film. That insider knowledge proves invaluable for Northwoods athletes who might not otherwise connect with major programs.
“I love coming back up and being able to represent the state. This camp helped me grow as a player.” — Michael Roeske, Wisconsin Badgers
Ellenbecker plans to continue growing Hawgs and Dawgs while maintaining its grassroots feel. The event fills a crucial gap in Wisconsin’s youth football calendar, providing high-quality spring training in a region where access to elite coaching can be limited.
Registration for future camps opens months in advance, with shirts guaranteed for those who sign up by early March deadlines. Interest remains strong enough that sessions consistently approach 100 participants — impressive numbers for a volunteer-driven event in a town of 8,000.
As long as Wisconsin kids want to play football and Badger players remember where they came from, Hawgs and Dawgs will keep bringing college talent to the Northwoods each spring. The dome stays warm, the sleds keep sliding, and young athletes keep learning what it means to play football the Wisconsin way — tough, smart, and together.
Written by
Mike has been coming up or living in the Northwoods since his childhood. He is also an avid outdoorsman, writer and supper club aficionado.
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