Children ages 7 to 14 can have fun and get in shape with representatives from the St. Louis Rams organization as Fort Leonard Wood hosts the "NFL Play 60" initiative starting at noon Wednesday at Gerlach Field.
The event, which is free and open to children from the Fort Leonard Wood community, will feature appearances by some of the Rams' cheerleaders and the team mascot, Rampage.
"They'll have about 15 different types of athletic stations with different activities going on for kids -- everything from a 40-yard dash, to a punt-and-kick area, passing drills, tackling dummies, an obstacle course, a football free-play area and more," said Eli Wilson, Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Community Activities manager.
The NFL started its "Play 60" campaign in 2007 as a way to promote physical fitness for kids. Participating NFL teams encourage kids to get "60 minutes of play per day" with a variety of fun activities.
"Basically, every NFL team is on board with that program, so the Rams are loading up some equipment and heading this way to set it up on the 16th," Wilson said.
The event will begin with an introduction, followed by a group warm-up and stretch. Participants will then be able to take part in the various activities available. The event is scheduled to end at about 2:30 p.m., Wilson said.
Parents are encouraged to stay and watch from the stands.
"We do want parents to stay. It's not a drop-your-kids-off event, and parents need to be with there with their child," Wilson said.
Registration
While the event is free, participants will need to register, which includes filling out a liability waiver. Registration will open at 11 a.m. Forms will be available on site, or parents can download forms in advance from fortleonardwoodmwr.com. All registered participants will be entered into a drawing for free tickets to a St. Louis Rams game.
Wilson also noted that, depending on their ability, participants outside the recommended age range may also participate.
"While the target audience for these activities is 7 to 14, if a parent, for example, comes out and has a 5-year-old who wants to participate and is able to participate, we want them to be able to do so. On the other end (of the age limit), if they are 15 or 16, we also won't turn them away. But I do want to stress that this is for kids, not for adults," Wilson said.
For more information about the NFL Play 60 event, call 596.6913 or visit the FMWR website.
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