Commerce City, Colo. — The Colorado Rapids recently teamed up with Ardent Mills to host another TeamFit event aimed at empowering kids with the necessary tools they need to be healthy and successful in life.
Rapids players Dennis Castillo and Marc Burch were on hand at the Suncor Boys & Girls Club in Commerce City, Colo., to help direct the kids in a few workouts along with the Rapids’ performance analyst & strength coach Miguel Motolongo and KSE community relations programs manager Mark Randall.
The nearly 45 different kids, who ranged in age from 6-15 years old, participated in three different stations that staged footwork drills emphasizing fitness through the use of low hurdles, agility cones and the ground ladder. Each station had two trainers teaching each kid the proper form and technique for whatever drill they were doing.
When the event began, Motolongo started out leading the kids in a short jog around the gym to get their blood moving. Everyone then lined up along the sideline to do various warm-up drills. Teaching these kids seemed to be an easy task for Motolongo, Castillo, Burch and Co. as the kids’ excitement and focus were well-evident from the beginning.
“I think it’s great that we can represent not only where the stadium is in Commerce City, but all of the kids that populate here and all of the local Denver areas,” explains Motolongo. “We’ll do anything we can do to brighten their day or make them feel like their dreams can come true.”
Many of the kids in attendance were well aware that they’d be getting some high-profile guest trainers on this day, so as we walked in the gym at Suncor Boys & Girls Club each of the young athletes enthusiastically asked if you were a coach or a player from the Rapids.
If you didn’t already see that the competitive spirit was alive and well with these kids, it was on display when they were pitted against one another in a foot race. The first kid to line up, who wore red shorts quickly reprimands his opponent on the right before the race begins, "Hey! You're crossing the line! You’re crossing the line!"
For many of the kids here, it’ll be the first chance they’re getting to meet a professional athlete in their lives, which is an experience that athletes like Castillo and Burch don’t take lightly. It’s obvious Castillo and Burch truly enjoy being a part of these kinds of programs. Castillo explained after the workout that he thinks events like these are great for the community and help build families—both on and off the field.
“I think it’s great, especially in these types of communities,” says Castillo. “If they learn these types of drills and habits, it’s just good for their future.”
