Eastern Michigan Athletics
Victory Day Brings Community, EMU Football, Together Again
5/25/2022 2:42:00 PM | Football
The Eagles orchestrated a day of football for cognitive and physically impaired community members
Highlight Video | Photo Gallery
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Eastern Michigan University football team welcomed the return of one of its best and most impactful traditions today, May 25, as it hosted Victory Day inside "The Factory" at Rynearson Stadium.
The seventh installment of Victory Day at EMU, the event welcomed cognitive and physically impaired community members to take part in a day of football with Eastern Michigan players, coaches, and staff.
The day began as participants walked into the team's indoor practice facility through a tunnel consisting of EMU football players and the cheer team. Next up, EMU Head Football Coach Chris Creighton joined participants for a welcome speech before participants officially began the football activities.
The participants split into 10 groups and had the opportunity to rotate through five different stations. Those stations, each supervised by EMU players and staff, consisted of throwing nets, agility bags, tackling drills, touchdown scoring, and much more!
Following the interactive opportunities, Creighton and the team presented each child with a medal before posing for a group photo and wrapping up the day with a loud rendition of "Go Eagles!" The day could not be complete without lunch, however, which featured an array of fan-favorite foods (hamburgers, hot dogs, salad, etc.) inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center.
About Victory Day
Victory Day was started in 2010 by Trenton teacher and varsity football defensive coordinator Aaron Segedi. Aaron, a native of Riverview, was diagnosed with cancer in 2005, which was brought on by a rare condition known as primary sclerosing cholangitis. As a football coach, Aaron lives by the philosophy that building character holds equal importance to teaching X's and O's, if not more. Victory Day was developed as a vehicle to teach this virtue, as well as a way to give back to the community. What started out as an idea filled with uncertainty has since developed into a rapidly growing phenomenon as the program has already been adopted by various schools in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.
Victory Day in the News
Eastern Michigan's Victory Day is scheduled to be featured during the 5 p.m. news hour on WDIV, Detroit's Local Channel 4, tonight. Content will then become available on the news affiliate's website, ClickOnDetroit.com.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Eastern Michigan University football team welcomed the return of one of its best and most impactful traditions today, May 25, as it hosted Victory Day inside "The Factory" at Rynearson Stadium.
The seventh installment of Victory Day at EMU, the event welcomed cognitive and physically impaired community members to take part in a day of football with Eastern Michigan players, coaches, and staff.
The day began as participants walked into the team's indoor practice facility through a tunnel consisting of EMU football players and the cheer team. Next up, EMU Head Football Coach Chris Creighton joined participants for a welcome speech before participants officially began the football activities.
The participants split into 10 groups and had the opportunity to rotate through five different stations. Those stations, each supervised by EMU players and staff, consisted of throwing nets, agility bags, tackling drills, touchdown scoring, and much more!
Following the interactive opportunities, Creighton and the team presented each child with a medal before posing for a group photo and wrapping up the day with a loud rendition of "Go Eagles!" The day could not be complete without lunch, however, which featured an array of fan-favorite foods (hamburgers, hot dogs, salad, etc.) inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center.
About Victory Day
Victory Day was started in 2010 by Trenton teacher and varsity football defensive coordinator Aaron Segedi. Aaron, a native of Riverview, was diagnosed with cancer in 2005, which was brought on by a rare condition known as primary sclerosing cholangitis. As a football coach, Aaron lives by the philosophy that building character holds equal importance to teaching X's and O's, if not more. Victory Day was developed as a vehicle to teach this virtue, as well as a way to give back to the community. What started out as an idea filled with uncertainty has since developed into a rapidly growing phenomenon as the program has already been adopted by various schools in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.
Victory Day in the News
Eastern Michigan's Victory Day is scheduled to be featured during the 5 p.m. news hour on WDIV, Detroit's Local Channel 4, tonight. Content will then become available on the news affiliate's website, ClickOnDetroit.com.
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