April 17, 2008

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- On Thursday, April 3, over 200 Green Bay student-athletes participated in the first-ever Phoenix Fan Fest. All 16 athletic teams took part to make this event a success. The event, which was sponsored by American Family Insurance, drew 150 elementary and middle school aged children from the community eager to meet and play with the student-athletes.

Each team had a different activity planned to play with the children who attended. The men's and women's basketball teams played basketball games in the gym. Women's volleyball and the Nordic ski teams were located in another gym playing balloon volleyball and a bucket toss game. Men's and women's cross country had an obstacle course set up on the indoor track for the fans to compete on.

In addition, candy pong was set up in the poolside room by the swimming and diving teams, and the women's softball team clocked how fast their fans could pitch a softball. The men's and women's soccer teams helped participants sharpen their soccer skills or play a game of kickball, while the golf teams helped the children with their putting. There were nets set up for the men's and women's tennis teams to play with the children and help them with basic skills and serving.

The fans were also able to get autographs from their favorite student-athletes and had chances to win prizes and candy at each of the activities. After playing all the games, the participants were able to cool down and enjoy some ice cream. Overall, the Fan Fest was a huge success and Green Bay athletics is looking forward to making this an annual event.

For a photo gallery of the event, click here