Titans challenge kids to train like pros

Jul 31, 2008 at 07:00 PM

Gatorade Junior Training Camp Teaches Football and Life Skills
*
NASHVILLE, TN Aug. 1, 2008 —* Close to 140 children from the metro Nashville area got a first hand look at what it's like to be a professional athlete when they took part in the Gatorade Junior Training Camp hosted by the Tennessee Titans Friday at Baptist Sports Park. Featuring elements of the NFL's Play 60 campaign, the two-hour camp put kids through drills and pep talks to show them there's much more to playing football than just having the right moves.

The program emphasized friendly competition over winning and taught kids about the important skills they can learn from playing sports, including responsibility, teamwork and sportsmanship. The camp also highlighted basic health and fitness training for active youth, and the importance of the proper "fuels" to keep them playing stronger and longer so they have more fun. "Gatorade has been a long-term partner of the Titans and the NFL and this camp gives us the opportunity to bring together a number of our partners to benefit these 140 young Gatorade campers," said Titans Executive VP Don MacLachlan. "Mr. Adams continues to be a huge supporter of our area's youth and this camp will hopefully be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for these campers.

The program was non-contact and designed for both boys and girls between the ages of seven and 14. The participants were from Nashville's Backfield in Motion and Middle Tennessee Boys & Girls Clubs.

"Everyone at Backfield from the kids to the staff were excited to take part in the camp for various reasons," said Backfield in Motion Vice President of Operations Stephen McAdoo. "The camp taught valuable information from pre-training, warming up and taking care of the body to good character traits like sportsmanship, leadership, teamwork and accountability."

The youth also learned more about the Titans/NFL Play 60 program, a league-wide health and fitness initiative created by the National Football League and the American Heart Association to educate and inspire youth to get at least 60 minutes of active play each day and live a healthier lifestyle. Trent Nessler, Managing Director of Baptist Sports Medicine and David Limpus from Commit to Get Fit were also on hand to share their insight on healthy living, fitness and nutrition with the youth along with staff from the American Heart Association. These are all partners in the Titans/NFL Play 60 program that will be unveiled in select Nashville area middle schools this fall.

In addition, Titans players Casey Cramer and Ingle Martin visited with the campers prior to their afternoon practice, reiterating the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. Cramer is a Boys & Girls Club Board Member and Martin is a long-time supporter of Backfield in Motion.

After the completion of the Gatorade Junior Training Camp, participants were able to see the players, that just moments earlier they imitated, by staying and watching a session of Titans training camp practice.

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