Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Join Luck at Change the Play Camp
7/19/2015 6:49:00 PM | Football
40 IU student athletes help Andrew Luck and IU Health
By: Sam Beishuizen | Twitter
IUHoosiers.com
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Before he was a high school standout, a Heisman finalist for Stanford or an NFL Pro Bowl quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, Andrew Luck was a kid who liked to play outside with his sisters.
On Sunday, playing was once again on Luck's agenda.
The Colts quarterback enlisted the help of Indiana athletes to join him in playing with some 500 kids at his second annual Change the Play Camp hosted in Mellencamp Pavilion.
"I remember when I was a kid, a college athlete, that was the epitome of life was to become one of those," Luck said. "They're definitely heroes of mine. They're definitely heroes to all these Hoosier fans down here, and it's great for them to be out here and be accessible and open to all these kids."
About 40 Hoosier athletes, including senior quarterback Nate Sudfeld, joined Luck and experts from the Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health to hold two camps on Sunday.
"I know when I was their age, if I'd have seen a college athlete my eyes would have gotten so big, let alone an NFL athlete," Sudfeld said. "I think it's great for these kids to kind of get these values implanted in them at a young age."
The Indiana athletes joined Luck in promoting a healthier lifestyle through sports in an effort to improve overall health.
One of the camp's major goals is to lower childhood obesity, which has almost tripled since 1980. As it stands, nearly one in every three children is overweight or obese, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"It's awesome just getting our youth ready for a healthier lifestyle and having great influences like Andrew and other IU athletes," Sudfeld said. "It's really important letting these kids know it's cool to stay fit. It's important for your lifestyle."
Sudfeld and Luck both said they were impressed by the campers enthusiasm.
Each kid had an opportunity to go through various drills on the Indiana practice field, one of which included catching passes thrown from Luck himself.
Luck said there weren't any opportunities for him to participate in camps like Change the Play when he was a kid, but he's trying to change that in Indiana now that he has the chance.
Change the Play encourages kids to remember that it doesn't take an organized sports league to go out and play. Luck recalled times that he and his sisters would invent games themselves and play after school until it got dark to stay active.
Thanks to the Change the Play camp, those children in attendance will have games and activities they can take home, too.
"It's been a great turnout," Luck said. "It's been a lot of fun. I'll tell you, what's also neat is the student-athlete volunteers that come out. I think that's special for these kids to see."
IUHoosiers.com
Photo Gallery
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Before he was a high school standout, a Heisman finalist for Stanford or an NFL Pro Bowl quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, Andrew Luck was a kid who liked to play outside with his sisters.
On Sunday, playing was once again on Luck's agenda.
The Colts quarterback enlisted the help of Indiana athletes to join him in playing with some 500 kids at his second annual Change the Play Camp hosted in Mellencamp Pavilion.
"I remember when I was a kid, a college athlete, that was the epitome of life was to become one of those," Luck said. "They're definitely heroes of mine. They're definitely heroes to all these Hoosier fans down here, and it's great for them to be out here and be accessible and open to all these kids."
About 40 Hoosier athletes, including senior quarterback Nate Sudfeld, joined Luck and experts from the Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health to hold two camps on Sunday.
"I know when I was their age, if I'd have seen a college athlete my eyes would have gotten so big, let alone an NFL athlete," Sudfeld said. "I think it's great for these kids to kind of get these values implanted in them at a young age."
The Indiana athletes joined Luck in promoting a healthier lifestyle through sports in an effort to improve overall health.
One of the camp's major goals is to lower childhood obesity, which has almost tripled since 1980. As it stands, nearly one in every three children is overweight or obese, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"It's awesome just getting our youth ready for a healthier lifestyle and having great influences like Andrew and other IU athletes," Sudfeld said. "It's really important letting these kids know it's cool to stay fit. It's important for your lifestyle."
Sudfeld and Luck both said they were impressed by the campers enthusiasm.
Each kid had an opportunity to go through various drills on the Indiana practice field, one of which included catching passes thrown from Luck himself.
Luck said there weren't any opportunities for him to participate in camps like Change the Play when he was a kid, but he's trying to change that in Indiana now that he has the chance.
Change the Play encourages kids to remember that it doesn't take an organized sports league to go out and play. Luck recalled times that he and his sisters would invent games themselves and play after school until it got dark to stay active.
Thanks to the Change the Play camp, those children in attendance will have games and activities they can take home, too.
"It's been a great turnout," Luck said. "It's been a lot of fun. I'll tell you, what's also neat is the student-athlete volunteers that come out. I think that's special for these kids to see."
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