Student-Athlete Advisory Committee | 8/30/2019 10:02:00 AM

August 30, 2019-The inaugural Emporia State Hornet Fest was a rousing success with over 175 Emporia area kids involved in the multi-sport youth clinic. The Emporia State Athletic Department, in conjunction with the NCAA Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Love2Play Initiative held the event on Jones Field at Welch Stadium on Wednesday, August 28.

"We are so pleased with the turnout for our first Hornet Fest," said Emporia State Deputy Director of Athletics Kristy Bayer. "You just never know, especially in an inaugural event, but we had a phenomenal turnout from the kids of Emporia."

Emporia State student-athletes went to Emporia area elementary schools in the days leading up to the event greet students before school started to help promote Hornet Fest.

"The youth of Emporia and the surrounding area get to come out and interact with the student-athletes," said Emporia resident Brian DeWitt who brought his children to the event. "Conversely the student-athletes get to interact and see the kids and that's equally important for them to see who's cheering them on on game day or meet day or whatever the sport might be."

All 15 Emporia State athletic teams were represented at Welch Stadium in a rotating series of stations designed to give youth between the ages of 5-12 an insight into their specific sport.

"For me the best part was getting all of the sports here together here in one place," said Lady Hornet basketball player and SAAC President Morgan Laudan. "With all our different schedules it's not very often we get to do that, so to get to do an event like this as one big unit is really fun."

The Love2Play Initiative was created with the intention to alleviate the pressures of sports mentally, physically, and spiritually in a way that allows for young athletes to grow and develop to become competitive athletes and people of high character. The goal is to educate parents and coaches of young athletes about how youth specialization does not help - and can often hurt - young athletes, in an effort to deplete the stigma of single sport athletes.

"I credit a lot of my athleticism and getting where I am here to being a three-sport athlete growing up." said Laudan. "It was important to me to get out there and have fun with my friends and do all different kinds of activities."

The majority of Emporia State's student-athletes competed in more than one sport while growing up and there have been several multi-sport Hornets over the years.

"Sometimes young kids are just exposed to a couple of different sports but at Hornet Fest the kids were able to play every single sport that we sponsor here at Emporia State," said Bayer. "For some kids this might be the first exposure they have to that particular sport. And who knows we might fuel the fire to the next big athlete in that sport."

Hornet Fest was made possible by a community grant provided by the Walmart Foundation and Emporia's Walmart - store manager Anthony Newell.

"It's the first time we've done this and to see the turnout from the kids and the parents was just amazing," said Emporia State Director of Athletics Kent Weiser. "Our student-athletes had as much fun as the kids so I am just thrilled at the success of the event."

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