K'Waun Williams never played flag football. Craig Robertson did -- when he was already on scholarship at North Texas.
As they watched 14 second-graders at Cleveland's Charles Dickens Elementary School go through their first-ever flag football experience Tuesday, the Browns defensive players saw the immense value right in front of their eyes.
"I wish I did start with flag football," said Williams, Cleveland's second-year defensive back. "It maybe would have taught me a little bit more."
Teaching, laughing, running, dodging. It all happened during Gretchen Tucholski's productive, hourlong physical education class, which began and ended with words of advice and encouragement from Williams and Robertson.
Tucholski was one of a number of educators who attended a free NFL Flag Football Clinic in February at the Browns' facility in Berea. Tuesday's visit from Robertson and Williams, both of whom sporting their Browns' #Give10 shirts, was a check-up of sorts to see how Tucholski was able to implement it. The visit was also part of the Browns PLAY 60 movement.
Tuesday's focus centered on the basics: How to grab the football, how to throw it and how to have fun with the game no matter how many people are around.
"We're trying to teach them skills but sometimes we look past that," Tucholski said. "As long as they're up and they're moving and they're playing and having fun, that's what we're really pushing. Getting them up and moving."
When it was time to cut loose and run all across the gymnasium floor, the second-graders delivered in a big way.
"They were awesome," Robertson said. "To be honest, their coach, Coach T, she was awesome. Teaching them things I learned at a young age and they're getting that in school that I got from parents of mine and younger coaches. That's a good step up for them to get that even at school."
The Cleveland Browns are committed to assisting the development, safety and growth of youth football throughout Northeast Ohio with year-round programming for players, coaches, officials and parents. Through camps, clinics and other initiatives, the Browns' goal is to promote healthy, social, emotional, intellectual and physical development of youth by enhancing opportunities for youth football participation and education.
In 2015, the Browns are continuing their commitment to #give10 through the team's First and Ten initiative. Launched in June 2014, the Cleveland Browns First and Ten campaign is the team's community program, established to inspire fans to volunteer in and help their communities throughout the world by volunteering for 10 hours each year. Through First and Ten, the Browns are the only NFL club to promote a long-term volunteering program that unifies the team and its entire fan base, with the goal of impacting every individual's city across the globe, as well as the franchise's local community. All Browns fans are encouraged to join the volunteering effort by signing the First and Ten pledge on the team's website and by sharing their stories with #give10.
