Former Seahawk, 12 Tour, visit Frontier students
Casey McCarthy/ Columbia Basin Herald Students from Frontier Middle School battle each other and Seahawks mascot Blitz in flag football at Lions Field on Friday in partnership with Fuel Up to Play 60.
Casey McCarthy/ Columbia Basin Herald Former Seahawk Jordan Babineaux hikes the ball with Frontier Middle School students at Lions Field on Friday in Moses Lake.
Casey McCarthy/ Columbia Basin Herald Former Seattle Seahawk safety Jordan Babineaux speaks to Frontier Middle School students about healthy nutrition and exercise habits as part of the NFL's Fuel Up to Play 60 program.
Casey McCarthy/ Columbia Basin Herald Former Seahawk Jordan Babineaux leads students in warm up exercises before competing with them in a flag football match at Lions Field on Friday.
Casey McCarthy/ Columbia Basin Herald Frontier Middle students, faculty, and members of the Seattle Seahawks organization gather in honor of the school's social media contest victory that resulted in getting to meet a former NFL player on Friday.
MOSES LAKE- Students from Frontier Middle School received a visit from members of the Seattle Seahawks organization in partnership with the NFL’s Fuel Up to Play 60 program on Friday, June 7, at Lions Field.
Students from Frontier had won a social media contest as a part of the 2018 GENYOUth NFL Flag in Schools program, creating a video showcasing how they’ve used flag football equipment provided by the NFL on a regular basis. Winners of the national contest would earn a visit from a former NFL player.
Not only did former Seahawk Jordan Babineaux visit the students, but members of the team’s entire 12 Tour came with him, including the mascot, Blitz, Seahawks dancers and drum team, Blue Thunder.
Students listened to messages about nutrition and daily activity from members of the 12 Tour, Washington State Dairy Ambassador, Abby Zurcher, and Babineaux himself. Afterwards a group of about 30 students participated in a brief flag football match featuring the former Seahawk and other tour members.
Babineaux said, as a player, sharing the messages Play 60 sponsors is huge for him.
“I think that one of the biggest things I like to talk about with our youth is health and nutrition because it’s one of the biggest attacks for our future and for our kids right now,” Babineaux said.
A member of the Seahawks from 2004-2010, Babineaux said this state became home to him over time meeting numerous people and building lasting bonds. The former NFL safety said he wanted to find a way to stay involved.
“Personally, my mission in life is to try and find a way to continue to give back and provide that impact to the community, despite not being on the field,” Babineaux said.
Frontier teacher Rita Gardner hopes this event will help inspire her students.
“This has been part of our school culture for about five years now,” Gardner said. “When we first started it, I don’t even know if the kids knew how many minutes of play every day they should be getting. But they all know now because of Play 60.”
Gardner said she hopes students meeting everyone was the “experience of a lifetime” for them.