INDIANAPOLIS —
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown was basking in the relative anonymity Wednesday at the NFL Experience, goofing around with kids at one of the drill stations and signing autographs.
Brown was caught flatfooted when a reporter asked him, "What’s the funniest thing a kid has said to you?" He didn’t have to wait long for an answer.
"Can you tell us where Reggie Wayne is?" a fifth-grader, who had just walked up, asked Brown.
"That’s it right there," he said, laughing.
It was kids, kids and more kids Wednesday at the Indiana Convention Center, as 38 classrooms of fifth- and sixth-graders enjoyed a morning at the NFL Experience, courtesy of the NFL’s Play 60 Challenge.
Each of the kids had taken a pledge to spend 60 minutes a day doing something active. Their reward was rubbing shoulders with a bunch of NFL players and skipping all of the usual lines at the Experience.
And yes, Reggie Wayne was in the house.
"Man, I did that Xbox Kinect for two hours this morning, and I am still sweating," the Indianapolis Colts wide receiver said during a convocation, as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Colts owner Jim Irsay looked on.
From the NFL to first lady Michelle Obama, childhood obesity gets a lot of press these days, and it’s not surprising.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood obesity has tripled in the past 30 years, and 20 percent of kids ages 6-11 were considered obese during the last major study, released in 2008. That same study suggested more than a third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese.
Valerie Leak, an Indianapolis parent who was chaperoning her daughter Emily’s fifth-grade class, said she had "all kinds of strong opinions" on why so many kids are overweight.
"I just think kids need to have movement, and it's the parents' responsibility," she said. "That's the nicest way I can say it."
The host of kids at Wednesday’s event only sat still for the news conference and convocation, then jumped back on their feet when Nickelodeon star Leon Thomas III came out to sing.
Irsay was perhaps the best speaker at the convocation, recalling his days growing up in the Chicago area.
"We would go out, and no matter what the temperature was, we would go out near the lake, on a field of snow, and play all day long," he said.
"We mostly played 'killball' — but you shouldn’t do that — it's when whoever gets the ball gets killed, usually on concrete," Irsay said.
The good news for health advocates is that the focus on childhood obesity seems to be paying off in different areas of school physical education and nutrition.
According to the Journal of School Health’s comprehensive school health programs and policies studies, the percentage of schools serving deep-fried potatoes dropped from 40 percent in 2000 to 19 percent in 2006.
And the percentage of elementary schools requiring physical education increased from 83 percent to 93 percent in the same period.
More states are requiring that kids be allowed recess activity as well, after a period in which many schools traded recess for additional classroom time, according to the study.
The kids at Wednesday’s event, who all got T-shirts, all the autographs they wanted, a box lunch and a cool access pass lanyard, probably didn’t care much about the statistics.
Perhaps some of them were like Irsay, who confessed to being a "chubby kid" when he was around age 10.
"I ate too much," he said. "But then I got used to working out, and it changed my life."
Kate McNulty, a fifth-grader at St. Jude School on Indy's south side, said it wasn’t very hard to commit to the Play 60 pledge. A basketball and volleyball player, McNulty beat Wayne handily in a Kinect Sports foot race.
"You won because I was tired!" Wayne complained afterward. McNulty didn’t mind the sore-loser stuff, she just asked for Wayne’s autograph.
Over where Brown was standing, one of the volunteers, Susan Riggs, asked to take a picture with the Steelers’ star.
"You tell your mama she did a good job with you," Riggs said. "Some of these athletes won't talk with the kids like you do."
Over at the Punt, Pass & Kick station, Colts defensive back Brandon King was having a ball. The funniest thing a kid said to him Wednesday?
"Are you real?" he said, not missing a beat.
"Just seeing the look on their faces, and seeing them smile, it feels real good," he said. "A lot of them have probably never seen an NFL player. I know I never did when I was growing up."
Sports
Related Photos
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Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne races Christian Riggs from Justice Intermediate School while competing on Xbox 360 Kinect. Tim Bath
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Colts corner Brandon King giving a few pointers to Nathalia Mamot from South Grove Intermediate school before she kicks the football at NFL Play 60 Kids' Day. Photo by Tim Bath / Kokomo, Ind., Tribune
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Colts WR Reggie Wayne signs autographs after playing with kids on Xbox 360 Kinect for two hours at NFL Play 60 Kids' Day. Photo by Tim Bath / Kokomo, Ind., Tribune
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Leon Thomas III from the Nickelodeon hit show "Victorious" performs for the kids at the end of the event. Photo by Tim Bath / Kokomo, Ind., Tribune
NFL Play 60 Kids Day gets them moving
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WELL STATED
Britton Scott and Kelsey LeValley didn’t earn titles at the state tennis tournament like they hoped to, but they can rest assured they will still get a chance to end their high school careers on a high note.
Scott and LeValley were among the eight players selected to the Girls’ West All-State Tennis Team, which was announced Wednesday. They will take on the East team on July 24 at the University of Tulsa. -
Under new management
Sometimes, change can be a good thing. For the Marlow Outlaws football team, this season is gearing up to be full of it.
After a disappointing 1-9 finish to the season, which included six losses by 10 points or less, there was a change of command for MHS.
On April 20, Rob Renshaw, who had spent the past six seasons at Putnam City High School as the offensive coordinator, was named the official head coach of the Outlaws. -
Laying the foundation
Last season, the Velma-Alma Comets had a nightmare start to their year.
After losing its first five games, along with star running back Checotah Lynn to a knee injury, V-A was looking at an unthinkable losing season.
However, the Comets rebounded to win six straight games and earn second place in district, eventually reaching the second round of the playoffs before falling to Minco 51-18.
Monday evening saw the Comets hard at work on Edgar Martin Field as they try and build upon the success of 2011. -
Blowout is as big as ever in 35th year
The driving range has seen an increase in popularity, the putting green is getting more use and the course professionals are devoting more of their days to giving lessons.
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First Impressions
Even before the rooster could finish his morning crows Monday, the Central High football team was hard at work at Broncho Stadium.
Enthusiasm was high and the pads were clapping as 18 CHHS players hit the field for the first time in 2012.
This marked the first official practice under head coach Andy Claborn, who takes over a Bronchos squad that narrowly missed the playoffs in 2011 with a 5-5 record. -
Scramble helps send Stevens to Pinehurst
Thanks to his performances in U.S. Kids Golf tournaments in Oklahoma City, Caden Stevens earned a spot in the World Championships.
Thanks to his fellow Stephens County residents, he will get to go.
Fifty-six players took part in the Team Caden Classic scramble on Saturday at Twin Oaks Golf Club. Between them and sponsorships from 11 local businesses, around $2,800 was raised to help send Stevens to Pinehurst, N.C., where he will compete at the storied golf resort against some of the best 7-year-olds in the world. -
Cards win Jess Welch title
Even though Duncan experienced a slight shower Sunday morning, it wasn’t enough to halt the final day of the Jess Welch Memorial Tournament at Abe Raizen Park.
In the championship of the 10-&-under division, it was an all-Duncan final between the Cardinals and Yankees, both of which survived semifinal matchups against teams from outside of Stephens County to advance earlier in the day.
Four runs in each of the first three innings proved to be too much for the Yankees to handle as the red birds took home the championship with a 15-0 victory in four innings. -
Area players shine at All-Star game
If fans attending Saturday night’s 23rd annual Southwest Senior Bowl at Cameron Stadium were looking for a friendly exhibition game amongst the players, they got just the opposite.
But, through all the chaos and controversy, the players representing Stephens County turned in solid performances, with Comanche’s Johnny Heath and Duncan’s Daniel McCoy scoring touchdowns on the evening.
In the end it was Heath’s South team coming away with the 26-14 victory over the North. -
DHS girls' coach McClung resigning
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Waurika names Edelman head football coach
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