The Art of Sport L.A. Bowl Hosted by Gronk allowed the students of La Tijera Academy of Excellence a chance to engage with football players from UNLV and The University of California.
During the Day of Play, the college student athletes facilitated drills and scrimmages for the youth. With the help of the Los Angeles Rams, students got a chance to race in an inflatable obstacle course and work on their kicking, running, passing and catching skills.
“That’s the tradition where we bring players from every participating team in the bowl game to come and play with the kids,” said L.A. Bowl executive director Adolfo Romero. “It’s for these young kids to see that there’s a lot of these players that come from these communities.”
Students took turns playing the different drills, from 40-yard dash drills to catching deep passes. Rams cheerleaders taught dance routines to the youth. The UNLV and Cal students engaged in a friendly passing competition by taking turns throwing at a target. Some LaTijera students joined, making long throws and gaining the approval of the college student athletes.
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La Tijera Academy of Excellence principal Robbie Tate noticed some of her more reserved students participating in drills and having fun.
“The kids are happy, I’m so grateful for the college athletes who came out,” Tate said. “I think it’s really cool that they’ve chosen our school so our students can actually engage with these athletes so they can have something to look forward to when they go to college.”
The college student athletes understand the importance of giving back and how their presence can impact the lives of younger students. The advice that Cal senior linebacker Myles Williams would give the youth is how team sports help teach the importance of relying on others.
“Being able to give back to the community is something that’s personally near and dear to my heart,” Williams said. “Learning to rely on your brothers or sisters to help you out and get a thing done as a collective is a really huge skill.”
UNLV sophomore offensive tackle Ed Haynes noted how playing football gave him “a clear path.”
“I remember being a young kid, having no dreams of playing football and you have players from our local town do the same for us,” Haynes said. “It inspired me. So I feel like I can inspire other kids too.”
