 
Longhorn Kids Club Fantasy Day
Aug. 1, 2012  Photo Gallery
Blake McAdow, Texas Media Relations The Longhorn Kids Club sponsored by Time Warner Cable kicked off a new event recently with the club members enjoying their very own Fantasy Day. The Fantasy Day experience included kids exploring the Moncrief-Neuhaus Athletic Center, sitting in the seats of the football team room, and running onto the field as if it were a Saturday afternoon in the fall in front of 100,000 strong. "Time Warner Cable Longhorn Kids Club is basically a membership group where kids 13 and under can join," explained Trinity Gibbons, marketing associate for Texas Athletics. "They get a name tag, a t-shirt, other goodies, and then they come to events [like] volleyball, soccer, basketball, baseball and softball. And they get free tickets." While in the team room, the kids got to ask current Longhorn quarterback David Ash and defensive back Adrian Phillips questions about football, the upcoming season, and when they first started playing sports. "It was amazing," said participant Amanda Baker, age 9, from Lakeway, Texas. "It's just really cool that I get to meet an actual football player because if I do end up going here in nine years, I want to be like them because they really enjoy what they're doing. So it's inspirational." "I remember growing up, I always looked up to the athletes," Ash said. "It's something in our culture we respect a lot. I was impacted as a young person, and I hope my impact is positive on the young people." "As a kid, I always looked up to players and I wanted to be just like them so our actions really affect what their intake is," said Phillips. "It seems like they're having a really good time, and if I ever have kids, it's something I would want them to do." The Longhorn Kids Club is currently split into two membership levels, All-Conference and All-American, and is open to children 13 years of age and under. One hundred percent of the funds collected are reinvested into the club to improve membership benefits and to create new opportunities for the club's members. The primary goal of the club is to build future Longhorns. "This is our first year having the fantasy day," said Gibbons. "We have always had events for other sports, but we thought we wanted to do something with football and it's been pretty successful thus far." "It was fun when we got to run down on the field and all the parents were here taking pictures of us," said Adam Conejo, a nine-year-old from Cypress, Texas. "Seeing the workout room was my favorite part." "It feels like you're a player when you're on the field, and it's pretty cool," said Adam's sister, Allison Conejo, age 10. "It's amazing. It's so inspirational because this is where the magic happens," added Baker. For more information about the Longhorn Kids Club or to register, go to www.longhornkidsclub.com or call 512-232-4272.
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