Online editor
Future football players and cheerleaders for the Lutheran Saints enjoyed an experience of a lifetime when playing and cheering at Lucas Oil Stadium Aug. 25. The opportunity came through a football and cheer league that is open to children ages 7-13. More 80 boys participated in scrimmages and 30 girls cheered on the field prior to the Colts’ preseason game with the San Francisco 49ers.
Cheerleading coordinator Emily Lee raved about the opportunity for her cheerleaders and football players in the school system.
“The kids absolutely adore it,” she said. “For a lot of them it’s their one and only chance to ever be on the Lucas Oil field.” Lee points to the academics and character of the players as to why they were invited for the scrimmages.
"Certain schools that show good grades for their students and good sportsmanship are invited to Lucas Oil Stadium, and they get to play other schools in small scrimmages,” Lee said. “Many on our board work very hard to get opportunities like this for the children.”
The kids received free tickets to the game, and some saw themselves on the jumbotron. The girls met Colts cheerleaders, and the boys were able to meet a few players from the 49ers and Colts.
“The league is open to all children. A lot these kids are not going to Lutheran schools. Some of them go to the churches and some are a recreational league that merged with ours,” Lee said. Dale Illingworth can be emailed at Southsidesports317@gmail.com for more information.