Quaker Make the Play Contest!

This post is sponsored by Quaker. All opinions are my own.

I had the opportunity to interview Andrew Luck, Quarterback for Indianapolis Colts. Andrew is participating in Quaker’s contest to find out what unique ways that families play together. You can submit your own invented backyard game or an original way to get creative playing outdoors for a chance to win a day of play with Andrew Luck!

During the interview, Andrew shared with me his family’s own invented backyard game. He recounted how his family started what they call “Roof Ball,” a game that his sister came up with while at their grandma’s house in Cleveland, Ohio. They would throw a ball onto the roof and could score a variety of points for a successful throw. Andrew didn’t remember all the scoring rules, but did confess that his little sister always won – a sore spot for this great competitor!

With his own fond memories of creating games in his youth and spending lots of time outdoors with his family playing a wide variety of sports with his dad or a slew of neighborhood kids Andrew says the Quaker Make the Play Contest is something he totally aligns with in encouraging families to get outdoors and away from the tech and video games that often distracts from family time.

My husband is always sharing the crazy games his grandpa would come up with when he was a kid. His grandparents owned a piece of property way out away from town so they would use their imaginations instead to come up with the craziest games they could to keep the kids entertained while visiting. We took a family trip and visited his grandpa a year ago and I was excited to get to participate in some of the crazy games I heard about growing up. One of the games involved a soft loop tied to the end of a long string. One player would stand at the end of the deck while the other player pulled the loop back and let it go swinging it towards the other player. The goal was not to hit the other player, of course, as they were a safe distance out of the swinging path. However, you were trying to get the other player to flinch. If they had nerves of steel and wouldn’t flinch, they’d win a point! This type of game is totally in line with my husband and his whole family’s personalities and sense of humor, that it just cracks me up.

Interview with Andrew Luck

Q: Why is this campaign important to you?

Andrew: I feel fortunate to be a quarterback in the NFL. As a kid being outside playing was so important to me and my family and this contest has the same wave-length to try to get kids outside and playing. Eating well and get good sleep.

Q: What would you say has been the highlight of your football career?

Andrew: We made it to the playoffs last year – beating the chiefs at a home game. We are hoping to make it to the Superbowl some year.

Q: How do you fuel up before a big game?

Andrew: A good night’s sleep, I need a good 9 hours of sleep. I also eat a big breakfast. We play in the afternoon around lunchtime so I fill up with a big brunch of eggs, potatoes, oatmeal with yogurt, fruit, orange juice and milk. Then a good stretch and warm-up.

Q: You mentioned you eat your oatmeal with yogurt in it, can you tell me more about that?

Andrew: I start with a good quality oatmeal and add in usually strawberry or blueberry yogurt, fresh fruit, and sometimes raisins or cranberries too. It’s a great way to combine it all.

 

Quaker Make the Play Contest

Quaker and Fuel Up to Play 60 is joining together to invite parents across the nation to show the unique ways their family plays. Studies have shown that kids do better in academic performance and concentration in class when they are active. So it’s important to do what we can to keep our kids minds and bodies active and healthy.

By participating in the Make the Play Contest, your family could win the grand prize “Day of Play” in your own hometown with Andrew Luck! Daily prizes will also be awarded as a $50 NFLShop.com gift card. The contest is open now through December 1st, 2014. To enter, head over to QuakerMakethePlay.com and submit your own short description and image of your family’s unique game!

What unique games does your family play?