Eastern Michigan Athletics
Photo by: EMU Athletics/Andrew Mascharka
EMU Football Hosts Fourth Annual Victory Day
5/25/2017 12:36:00 PM | Football
The Eagles orchestrated a day of football for cognitively and physically impaired children
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Video Recap
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Rain could not keep the Eastern Michigan University football team from hosting its fourth annual EMU Victory Day, Thursday, May 25, as the Eagles hosted more than 140 cognitively and physically impaired children. Student-athletes, as well as the coaching staff, took part in an exciting event of football related activities inside EMU's Indoor Practice Facility.
The day began as kids walked into the facility through a tunnel consisting of EMU football players and the cheer team. Following the national anthem, EMU Head Football Coach Chris Creighton joined participants for a welcome speech and a ceremonial coin toss to officially begin the football activities.
The participants split into 10 groups in which they went through individual drills and others took the field to compete in a game-like setting. On the drills side, stations consisted of throwing nets, agility bags, kicking, and much more.
Following the interactive opportunities, Creighton and the team presented each child with a medal before posing for a group photo and wrapping up the day by singing the EMU fight song. After singing alongside the athletes and cheerleaders, everyone involved congregated for a group photo before concluding the festivities with a luncheon inside the Convocation Center.
Victory Day was started in 2010 by Trenton teacher and varsity football defensive coordinator Aaron Segedi. Aaron, a native of Riverview, was diagnosed with cancer in 2005, which was brought on by a rare condition known as primary sclerosing cholangitis. As a football coach, Aaron lives by the philosophy that building character holds equal importance to teaching X's and O's, if not more. Victory Day was developed as a vehicle to teach this virtue, as well as a way to give back to the community. What started out as an idea filled with uncertainty has since developed into a rapidly growing phenomenon as the program has already been adopted by various schools in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.
Video Recap
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Rain could not keep the Eastern Michigan University football team from hosting its fourth annual EMU Victory Day, Thursday, May 25, as the Eagles hosted more than 140 cognitively and physically impaired children. Student-athletes, as well as the coaching staff, took part in an exciting event of football related activities inside EMU's Indoor Practice Facility.
The day began as kids walked into the facility through a tunnel consisting of EMU football players and the cheer team. Following the national anthem, EMU Head Football Coach Chris Creighton joined participants for a welcome speech and a ceremonial coin toss to officially begin the football activities.
The participants split into 10 groups in which they went through individual drills and others took the field to compete in a game-like setting. On the drills side, stations consisted of throwing nets, agility bags, kicking, and much more.
Following the interactive opportunities, Creighton and the team presented each child with a medal before posing for a group photo and wrapping up the day by singing the EMU fight song. After singing alongside the athletes and cheerleaders, everyone involved congregated for a group photo before concluding the festivities with a luncheon inside the Convocation Center.
Victory Day was started in 2010 by Trenton teacher and varsity football defensive coordinator Aaron Segedi. Aaron, a native of Riverview, was diagnosed with cancer in 2005, which was brought on by a rare condition known as primary sclerosing cholangitis. As a football coach, Aaron lives by the philosophy that building character holds equal importance to teaching X's and O's, if not more. Victory Day was developed as a vehicle to teach this virtue, as well as a way to give back to the community. What started out as an idea filled with uncertainty has since developed into a rapidly growing phenomenon as the program has already been adopted by various schools in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.
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