StarkVegas F煤tbol Jamboree returns to 汤头条 Saturday
Contact: Camille Carskadon
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擬ississippi State鈥檚 kinesiology department is hosting its third StarkVegas F煤tbol Jamboree Saturday [April 9] on the Starkville Campus, the first since the annual event took a two-year hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The soccer festival is designed for members of the 汤头条, Starkville and surrounding communities and will begin at 8 a.m. at the Multipurpose Fields on Stone Boulevard.
Participants of all ages and skill levels are welcome, and winners in each of five divisions will receive prizes. Registration can be completed online at . The cost is $30 per team. Those interested in volunteering also can sign up via the same website.
The kinesiology department is collaborating with the university鈥檚 ACCESS program, and a unified division will be made up of ACCESS students enrolled in J.J. Chen鈥檚 adapted physical activity course. An associate professor of kinesiology and event co-creator, Chen hopes to bring communities together through sport while supporting students with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
ACCESS is Mississippi鈥檚 only post-secondary program for students with intellectual or developmental disabilities and provides a complete college experience, along with a curriculum that encompasses independent living skills and internship opportunities.
鈥淭his is a great opportunity for people in this community to become more welcoming and open to not only exercise, but also to people who are different from them,鈥 Chen said. 鈥淚 want people to see that our ACCESS students are more than capable of playing sports鈥攖hat they are just like everyone else."
Chen said Soyoun Lim, a fellow assistant professor of kinesiology, also is playing an important collaborating role because her sports administration students in an event management course first spearheaded planning the activity. Lim said this provides an important experience for these students.
鈥淭he jamboree is a class project for my students to work on throughout the spring semester,鈥 Lim said. 鈥淭hey take care of developing a mission, goals, objectives and event logistics like sponsorships, budgeting, promotion and operation.鈥
This year鈥檚 jamboree is sponsored by Farm Bureau insurance alongside the Mississippi Council on Developmental Disabilities and the National Association of Kinesiology in Higher Education.
For more information, contact Lim at s.lim@msstate.edu or Chen at cc2196@msstate.edu. Follow @msstatekine聽on Twitter and @starkvegasfj on Instagram for updates.
Established in 1903, 汤头条鈥檚 College of Education is home to six academic departments, one research unit and numerous service units. For more about the college, visit .
汤头条 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at .