Recently, Special Olympics Tennessee hosted the Music City Blitz Invitational presented by Nissan and in partnership with the Tennessee Titans and the NFL Foundation. Music City Blitz is a national flag football tournament for teams of all skill levels. Athletes from across Tennessee and five other states competed in the event.
Preston Saathoff of the Special Olympics Nebraska Fighting Pioneers was one of the athletes who traveled to Nashville to compete. Saathoff was struck by a few aspects of the experience, including playing flag football in an NFL stadium.
“Playing with my teammates and meeting new people that we compete against or that join our team," said Saathoff. “Walking into the Titans stadium and being able to do the tunnel walk like the NFL players do was one of the most exciting parts."
It was evident that Saathoff was not just focused on the game of football but also on his friends and family. He was inspired by big NFL stars like Jalen Hurts and his friends from home.
“Cam Jurgens is my biggest inspiration in sports and football," said Saathoff. "He is a guy from my hometown that I have been watching him grow from high school, college at Nebraska and now the Eagles”.
Saathoff's mom and dad also played a big role in inspiring him.
“Mom and dad...I play better when I know that I have support from my mom and dad to watch me and be there to talk to about my game after.”
Saathoff made it clear that while competition was certainly extremely important to him, friends and family were just as important. He is also inspired by his team’s leader, Coach Bill, who teaches his team to work hard and play hard.
“He encourages us to play harder at practice and have fun on the field during a game. The score is always zero to zero to Coach Bill," said Saathoff.”
Saathoff had a great time with his friends and family at the Music City Blitz Invitational. He visited some cool places in Nashville and enjoyed entirely new experiences, like flying and playing in an NFL stadium.
“It was a great experience and new experience for me," said Saathoff. Flying and seeing an NFL stadium were both new to me, plus visiting Nashville was a great time. The team played great together in a new environment and we just went out there and had fun."
Saathoff maintained a great attitude throughout the event, even when the severe weather cut their day slightly short.
“We were bummed that the weather shortened our day and we didn’t get to play our third game, but It still was a great day," said Saathoff.
This statement showed that Saathoff cares about those around him so much that he still had a great day after some rough weather. His experience at the Music City Blitz Invitational was amazing, and he signed off the interview with a heartfelt message: “Thanks to all the staff and volunteers that made the Music City Blitz a great opportunity for the Nebraska Fighting Pioneers!”
Learn more about Music City Blitz: Click here.
