Sylvia Kim skim@starlocalmedia.com
The National Football League recently hosted its second annual Play 60/Read 20 event.
Taking place in Frisco for the first time, Dallas Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr led football drills to help promote an active lifestyle, and former NFL player Tim Green finished the event by reading from his latest novel to encourage reading and the importance of education.
The dual event worked to foster two assets for elementary-age students: physical activity and activity of the mind through reading. For 60 minutes, Carr and area youth took over the plaza in front of the Frisco Public Library on Monday.
Participants were split up into teams and rotated through different stations and activities.
“I was a big fan of the event with its added component of reading and literacy and stressing the importance of just being active with healthy lifestyle choices,” Carr said. “Lots of athletes use their platform for fitness, but I think it’s important to use our platform to stress the importance of education as well.
“Showing that it’s actually cool to read books and care about your education and future is how I hope to use my platform in a positive way.”
The event was Carr’s and Green’s second time participating in conjunction with the Dallas Cowboys. Last year, the Play 60/Read 20 took place in Dallas ISD. But with the Dallas Cowboys relocating their world headquarters to Frisco, the event also moved locations.
Prior to the creation of Play 60/Read 20, the Dallas Cowboys held a Junior Training Camp schools program that only featured the 60 minutes of play. But Green, a former NFL lineman and best-selling author, approached the Cowboys to help form the reading portion.
“I’ve visited over 1,000 schools all over the country in the last 11 years since I started writing middle-grade novels,” Green said. “There’s a consistent theme I’ve found of teachers trying to get their kids to read 20 minutes a day. Kids who do that perform better in school and are also more empathetic towards other people.”
After the 60 minutes of play, Green led students and families into the Frisco City Council Chambers at City Hall, where he read from his latest middle school novel “Left Out,” a story about a deaf student who finds his identity through football.
Play 60/Read 20 isn’t exclusive to the Dallas Cowboys. Last year, the New York Giants, Chicago Bears and Atlanta Falcons also held the event. The New England Patriots and Denver Broncos took part in the program this year.