BOSTON (WHDH) – The boys and girls at Perkins Community Center in Dorchester got to make friends with the New England Patriots Monday when Patriots players visited to help celebrate the International Day of Play.
Celebrated in Boston and other surrounding communities, it was all smiles at the Perkins Center as Patriots players teamed up with students in games like dodgeball and badminton.
“It’s always fun to do things like this because you remember you were that age at one point, the impact it can have,” said Patriots center David Andrews. “It’s still competitive, so you give guys a chance to compete.”
While it may have been fun and games, head coach Jerod Mayo was still taking notes, including who the best dodgeball players are on his team.
“You know, honestly Drake Maye and Hunter Henry,” he said. “Those guys are good dodgeball players. You have the mix of athleticism and dodge.”
Mayo said events like this on Tuesday are important to the growth of his young players.
“A lot of us have come from this,” he said. “We were those kids at one point in time. So, it’s important for us to give back.”
He continued, saying events like this are a connection to his own days as a player and the lessons he learned from Patriots owner Robert Kraft about what it means to be a Patriot.
“They were always pushing us to get out in the community and use our platform,” Mayo said.
Tuesday marked the inaugural International Day of Play. An effort by the United Nations, the day aims to “preserve, promote, and prioritize playing so that all people, especially children, can reap the rewards and thrive to their full potential.”
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