Salem football takes opening practices to Grand Valley State University

The Salem football team is continuing an annual tradition this week by going away for the first three days of camp.

Second-year coach Justin Reed said the school has been traveling to various colleges around the area for summer camp since 1974 and decided this year to take his team to Grand Valley State University.

"We stay at the same facility that their players do, we use their game field for practice," Reed said. "It's a bonding thing, a way for our guys to get away from all the other distractions and start off football the right way."

Reed attended GVSU and said he wanted his team to be able to experience and take in the campus and facilities the same way he did.

Each of the last two years, Salem has gone to Ohio Northern and the year before, trekked to Adrian.

"One of the motivators is coming together as a team," Reed said. "This is to me, is the greatest team sport in the world, so when they can get away from home and really bond together as a team, I think that's going to be our main focus and why we've done it in the past."

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There are plenty of starting jobs to be won during camp, starting with quarterback, where Reed says he has not made any kind of decision on who will start. These position battles will likely last until later next week. Salem's first game is on Thursday, Aug. 29 at Belleville.

At GVSU, players will eat meals together and have team activities at night, giving them the opportunity to bond off the field.

"Success to me this year is going to be when you look at the product that we put out on the field, is the effort there by our student-athletes, do they play with passion and play together," Reed said. "We're trying to build that togetherness of the guys and I think when you look at our games and we're playing that way, it'll be a successful year."

Reach Andrew Vailliencourt at availlienc@hometownlife.com, 810-923-0659. Follow him on Twitter @AndrewVcourt.