National PLAY campaign to keep kids healthy stops at Chase Field

PHOENIX — As the Arizona Diamondbacks prepared to face off against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday, they took time out of their day to focus on something bigger than the just the game of baseball — working with kids.

The national PLAY campaign, on a tour of every major league stadium, made a stop at Chase Field to promote the importance of children living a healthy lifestyle while also focusing on disability inclusion.

PLAY — Promoting a Lifetime of Activity for Youth — is a public awareness campaign of the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society in conjunction with the Taylor Hooton Foundation, the Henry Schein Cares Foundation, the Ruderman Family Foundation and the National Down Syndrome Society.

The campaign fights child obesity and promotes healthy living and decision-making among young people.

As the kids took the outfield to play games with mascot Baxter, outfielder Steven Souza Jr. and members of the team’s training staff had plenty of workouts ready for them.

“We are just trying to get kids to have active lifestyles and today we have an obstacle course,” Diamondbacks strength coach Nate Shaw said.

At other stations throughout Chase Field students dressed in Diamondbacks gear were taught the importance of a healthy diet and eating balanced meals every day.

Today the @Dbacks are hosting the National PLAY Campaign helping promote the importance of children living a healthy lifestyle and disability inclusion. @Dbacks Outfielder Steven Sousa Jr and Head Athletic Trainer Ken Crenshaw are leading workouts in centerfield. ⚾️ @KTAR923 pic.twitter.com/Yty1w5o174

— Ali Vetnar (@Ali_Vetnar) September 19, 2018

“The kids get better and better every year,” Shaw said. “It’s a rewarding experience for us to be able to give back to the community and see the kids have fun out here.”

In 2014, the PLAY Campaign became the first program in professional sports to include children with disabilities.

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