Local children from Manchester learned a whole new ball game as legendary NFL team Chicago Bears held an American Football masterclass on the second week of their Mini Monsters tour across the UK.
Over 50 children from a mix of local schools and league teams attended the event at Ten Acres Lane Sports Centre in Manchester on Thursday 21st July, where former tight end Kaseem Sinceno helped to put on a session focused on healthy eating, physical activity and hydration through fun, non-contact American football drills.
Bears’ Manager of Youth Football & Community Programs Gustavo Silva commenting on the Mini Monsters Clinic in Manchester, commented, “The session was fantastic. Seeing the children throw themselves into something new and having so much fun was great. Not only did they learn new skills, but they learnt about hydration and healthy eating, which sets them up for life. We really had so much fun in Manchester, and we hope to come back here soon!”
Chicago Bears are one of the most successful teams in the history of American Football and have brought their Mini Monsters Clinics from Chicago to the United Kingdom for the very first time. With Manchester having been one of the stops, the 90-minute clinics will reach approximately 1,400 kids up and down the country on the nine-date Mini Monsters tour, brought to you by United Airlines.
The session at Ten Acres Lane Sports Centre saw children and young people of differing physical abilities and experiences of American Football take part in five NFL drills to learn and experience the sport for themselves.
The Manchester clinic, which included kids from local American Football team Manchester Titans, welcomed England and Sale Sharks scrum-half Raffi Quirke and his teammate Simon McIntyre. The Sharks pair switched football codes for the day to help out with the all-action drills taking place.
The Bears took their Mini Monsters Clinics on an eight-stop tour in the UK including Selborne Primary School (London-Ealing), Toryglen Football Centre (Glasgow), Wheelers Ln. School (Birmingham) and Leisure United (Sheffield). Since this season’s program launched in April in the United States, more than 4,500 kids have participated in the 90-minute outdoor clinics, a fantastic achievement in helping to encourage active physical habits for young people.
