PROVO UT — Field day came early this year for the 1,000 sixth-graders from across Utah County.
BYU hosted its semi-annual Sports Hero Day event on March 28, 2025, inviting 1,000 sixth-graders to come play and explore different sports with the help of student-athlete volunteers. Drills were set up for several BYU sports, which were manned by student-athletes as kids went station to station.
The sixth-graders reportedly arrived bursting with energy. Claire Little, from the BYU women’s volleyball team, said she had a great time teaching them how to hit, set, and pass on the court.
“The kids came excited to just hang out and play games with all the sports leaders!” Little said. “We also sung Baby by Justin Beber with them and overall let them have a good time and play!”
Because the children weren’t allowed in the pool, Ellie Boyer from the women’s swim team explained that they held tours for the swim facilities and had a few out-of-water activities. She and the sixth-graders had a great time doing trivia and practicing a few drills.
“I personally love Sports Hero Day. It is cool to get the swim team some recognition and show kids that there are more sports than just football and basketball,” Boyer said. “I remember playing this one game with a couple of them, and I purposefully made it seem like they had beaten me at it. They all were so pumped to have beaten a BYU athlete.”
The day proved to be inspirational for student-athletes and six-graders alike. All the BYU athletes who were interviewed affirmed their gratitude for the opportunity to share their sport with the athletes of the future.
“I thought sports hero day was an amazing opportunity to have some kids get outside their classrooms and get a glimpse into us older kids’ lives!” Little said. “They get to see that college is different and give them something to look forward to and get excited about!”
Sports Hero Day will return this fall, where a new group of six-graders will get to run drills and practice sports with team captains from BYU.