We are pretty lucky to live in a place where there are so many up and rising athletes.....who start out with nothing, but with a lot of dedication, hard work, education and talent.....they've made it to the NFL. We have several family members and close family friends who have made it professional, and the nice thing about that is that even with all their fame and fortune, they still remember where they came from and they are always giving back. Our kids are so lucky to have the opportunities that are given to them through these professional football players.
Sione Po'uha - New York Jets
Ma'ake Kemoeatu - Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Washington Redskins, now Baltimore Ravens again
Chris Kemoeatu - formerly a Pittsburg Steeler....3 superbowls and 2 rings, now a free agent
Naufahu Tahi - formerly a Minnesota Viking
Reno Mahe - formerly a Philadelphia Eagle
and those are just the ones we know personally......there are so many other boys from the polynesian community who I haven't mentioned, who also give back the the community.
Every year these players get together during their off season and put together football camps for our young polynesian boys....the camp is run by polynesian NFL players, but they put it on for anyone and everyone who is 8-17 years old. There are two camps every summer, and all the players get together and help each other. The first camp is run by Fahu Tahi and Reno Mahe and it's called the G.I.F.T.E.D camp.....that stands for Grid Iron Football Training & EDucation.
The first day was for the younger elementary aged boys......they focused on the younger kids and spent a few hours with them running drills and teaching them different plays....then they would take a break and have a few of the NFL players come and give little motivational speeches. These guys are like heros to these little kids....and it's so nice to see them come back to their hometown and give hope to these little kids that if they work hard, they can go places too! I love that in their speeches they didn't only talk about football stuff, but they emphasized to the kids that they need to listen to their parents and go to school! As if the camp wasn't enough for the kids, they also all got t-shirts and lunch. This is the second camp my boys have been to, and I will make sure to take them every year from now on! :) What a great thing!
The weekend after the G.I.F.T.E.D camp, Sione Po'uha and the Kemoeatu brothers put on the DREAM BIG camp. That was another opportunity for the kids to learn the game of football and to run some drills.....but more importantly to get hope and motivation from the NFL players. The DREAM BIG camp's main focus is teaching the kids that it's ok to dream big.....and that if they work hard and get good grades and listen to their parents, their dreams can come true! The DREAM BIG camp was 2 days long for the little kids and besides the opportunity to work with the players, they also got lunch on both days and a t-shirt.
Thank you all for taking time out of your schedules to spend time with our kids....and for always giving back! My boys loved it!
Sione Po'uha - New York Jets
Ma'ake Kemoeatu - Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Washington Redskins, now Baltimore Ravens again
Chris Kemoeatu - formerly a Pittsburg Steeler....3 superbowls and 2 rings, now a free agent
Naufahu Tahi - formerly a Minnesota Viking
Reno Mahe - formerly a Philadelphia Eagle
and those are just the ones we know personally......there are so many other boys from the polynesian community who I haven't mentioned, who also give back the the community.
Every year these players get together during their off season and put together football camps for our young polynesian boys....the camp is run by polynesian NFL players, but they put it on for anyone and everyone who is 8-17 years old. There are two camps every summer, and all the players get together and help each other. The first camp is run by Fahu Tahi and Reno Mahe and it's called the G.I.F.T.E.D camp.....that stands for Grid Iron Football Training & EDucation.
After the camp, my boys and their cousins took a picture with their uncle and NFL player Fahu Tahi
The weekend after the G.I.F.T.E.D camp, Sione Po'uha and the Kemoeatu brothers put on the DREAM BIG camp. That was another opportunity for the kids to learn the game of football and to run some drills.....but more importantly to get hope and motivation from the NFL players. The DREAM BIG camp's main focus is teaching the kids that it's ok to dream big.....and that if they work hard and get good grades and listen to their parents, their dreams can come true! The DREAM BIG camp was 2 days long for the little kids and besides the opportunity to work with the players, they also got lunch on both days and a t-shirt.
Running drills with Jr Salt....a current UofU football player
Matt Asiata....a former UofU football star (my boys are his biggest fans!)
Deuce Lutui of the Seattle Seahawks
Uncle Ma'ake Kemoeatu of the Baltimore Ravens
Uncle Sione Po'uha of the New York Jets
Thank you all for taking time out of your schedules to spend time with our kids....and for always giving back! My boys loved it!
And of course, a shot of my Tala girl....she was my sidekick in the bleachers holding my umbrella while the boys were on the field :)
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