Former Ute Colt Sampson Encourages Kids To Get Out & Play

Tim Letcher

"The goal is to get 101activities in the community that kids can do throughout the summer," Sampson says.  “After you pick up your badge from a local business, you wear them on the lanyard that was given to each kid at the end of the school year. The goal is to get 101 badges over the summer."

There are a wide variety of badges available to kids in the program. Activities range from mountain climbing to bird watching to helping a neighbor, all of which can earn a badge.

Sampson hopes that by getting kids active at a young age, it will promote a healthier lifestyle for them as they grow up. "I think the biggest thing is teaching kids to have a passion while they are young," he says. "One of my big motivations for the Play Unplugged program is to get these younger kids exposed to all of these activities they can do. Hopefully, they are going to fall in love with playing football or playing basketball or some other activity."

Sampson recently got good news for the Play Unplugged program in Spanish Fork. Sampson's employer, State Farm, has awarded the local program with a $25,000 grant through its Neighborhood Assist Program. "This grant will fund the program for the next three or four years," Sampson says. "There will still be sponsorships in the community, but this grant will allow us to do even more for the kids."

Sampson played at Utah from 2004-2008, finishing his career on team that went 13-0, including a win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. While the Utes were underdogs in the game, Sampson saw the result as fitting. "It doesn't matter where you're from or what background you have, if you compete and do things the right way, it's going to benefit you in life."

Those are the values that Sampson and the Play Unplugged program are trying to instill in today's youth.

(Story from the National Football Foundation)