History/Future

In the Beginning

From the time Gary Davis was young, he dreamed of doing two things – playing professional football and building a program for at-risk youth. Although he came from a loving and supportive 2-parent home, Gary saw many peers in his Los Angeles County neighborhood that didn't have the same kind of structure and support. With his supportive family, the structure of sports and the support of coaches serving as positive role models in his life, Gary graduated from Cal Poly and had a successful career in the NFL. After his retirement, he translated the discipline and training of the NFL into developing a program for at-risk youth giving them a structure they lacked.

The original camp was setup to help wards of the state and included many kids who were in and out of juvenile hall and heading towards prison. The first generation of the program boasted an A+ recidivism rate. Visit our Media page to view a video with testimonials from graduates of the first program.

Looking Towards the Future

Op C.O.Y. plans on opening a fully operating residential camp in San Luis Obispo County serving youth from San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. Our goal is to run a five-month session each year (mid-January thru mid-June) with 24 campers. This will be followed by a three week summer camp. Op C.O.Y. hopes to expand the program to other cities in the future.

To learn more about Op C.O.Y., call 805-592-2990 or email info@operationcoy.org.