Photo By Sgt. James Larimer | A U.S. Army All-American athlete and a Soldier mentor observe the joint East/West...... read more read more
SAN ANTONIO – The 2017 U.S Army All-American Bowl is less than a week away and the events leading up to the big game are well underway here. Soldiers and senior leaders, alongside high school students selected from across the country, are participating in a week of workshops, showcases and demonstrations, focused on leadership and innovation.
The activities run from Monday, Jan. 2 to Saturday, Jan. 7, and provide a platform for Soldiers to engage with the students, as well as families and community officials while showcasing the Army’s latest innovations in technology and its ongoing commitment to the development of America’s future leaders.
The All-American Bowl is the nation’s premier high school football game, serving as the preeminent launching pad for America’s future college and NFL stars. The All-American Bowl boasts two Heisman Trophy winners, nine NFL Rookies of the Year, 330 NFL draft picks, including 77 first-rounders, 106 NFL Pro Bowlers and 37 Super Bowl Champions. Odell Beckham Jr., Andrew Luck, Patrick Peterson, Adrian Peterson and Christian McCaffrey made their national debuts as U.S. Army All-Americans.
U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Scott Morcomb, commanding general for the Army Reserve Aviation Command and the 2017 All-American Bowl Task Force Commander, said the participants are chosen not only because of their incredible talents, but also because they’re young men and women who embody the Army values: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage.
“This is the Army connecting with America, our youth and our communities,” he said. “A strong nation is a strong Army and the strength of our nation is our youth. We’re not here just for football.”
In addition to hosting nearly 100 football players and 125 marching band musicians and color guard members, there are also nearly 400 students participating in the All-American Bowl’s Ten80 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics festival (STEMfest). The event allows the students to explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics through interactive experiments.
“Four hundred of the smartest kids in this country are here to participate in the STEM program,” said Morcomb.
In addition to the Ten80 STEMfest, the Ten80 Education’s Innovators-in-Training Challenge will be held on Jan. 6. Students will attend workshops and sessions that focus on one or more of the four critical aspects of innovation: the engineering process, enterprise process, content and skills, and leadership.
“To Become Greater Than” is the theme of the 2017 Army All-American Bowl and these events and activities are designed to allow all students, whether they are participating in sports, band or STEM activities, to enhance their ability to work as a group to achieve goals, as well as develop their confidence in being leaders.
The year-long AAB program demonstrates the Army’s commitment to America’s youth; enhances the Army’s connection with the American people: highlights the extraordinary men and women who are our Nation’s Soldiers; and increases awareness of Army service opportunities.
For the past 16 years, the AAB has helped showcase the Nation’s premier high school athletes – athletes who have gone on to achieve college, NFL and personal greatness – and talented band members, some of whom have gone on to become U.S. Army Soldiers.
Morcomb concluded that the weeklong event is all about people and forging tomorrow’s leaders. “It’s about America’s youth and building those relationships,” he said. “It’s a reminder of the potential this country still lies in our greatest resource—our youth—who will lead this nation and our military when we’re long gone.”
The 2017 U.S. Army All-American Bowl will be played on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017, at the San Antonio Alamodome, and will be broadcast live on NBC at 12 p.m. CST. Pre-game pageantry will begin at 11 a.m. CST.
| Date Taken: | 01.03.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 01.04.2017 13:40 |
| Story ID: | 219285 |
| Location: | SAN ANTONIO, TX, US |
| Hometown: | BLACKSBURG, VA, US |
| Hometown: | CHERRY HILL, NJ, US |
| Hometown: | FORT KNOX, KY, US |
| Web Views: | 124 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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