Former A's player Eric Byrnes promotes youth physical education through Let Them Play Foundation
Former Oakland A's outfielder and longtime Major League Baseball player Eric Byrnes is inspiring change through physical fitness. Byrnes recently spoke with us on the With Authority podcast about his passion for promoting youth physical activity.
WATCH ON YOUTUBE: With Authority featuring Eric Byrnes
He's gone across the country through his Let Them Play Foundation.
"60 percent of kids do zero after school youth activity. Kids are spending 7-9 hours a day on screens. I've always been somebody that's not just going to tell you how to do it, I prefer to be out in front and lead by example," said Byrnes.
He and his wife created the foundation with a unique physical challenge taking Byrnes across the country.
"Let Them Play Foundation is a new project that Eric and I have taken under. Our kickoff event is a triathlon across America," said Byrnes' wife Tarah Peters. "It's an opportunity for us to distribute grants and bring awareness to the lack of physical activity our kids are going through."
"The impact that we knew we were making at this grassroots level was heavy," added Byrnes.
Right now on https://www.letthemplayfoundation.org/ you will find a link to the film with a portion of the proceeds going to COVID-19 relief efforts.
"We need to have a solution. I don't want to just tell people about this problem besides us going across the country and just handing out checks," Byrnes said. "How do we fix it? It's amazing how many people don't realize the connection between the body and the mind. Obviously this is something we are really passionate about," said Byrnes.
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