Sept. 15, 2011

The Missouri State football Bears added a player to their roster on Wednesday (Sept. 14). Through the University's involvement with Champions Committed to Kids, Coach Terry Allen's troops have adopted 13-year-old Montana from Forsyth, Mo., to be part of the team this season.

Montana will attend various Missouri State practices and games throughout the 2011 and 2012 seasons as part of the program and spend at least 30 minutes a week involved with MSU student-athletes and coaches.

Champions Committed to Kids was formed to partner kids fighting chronic illnesses with local athletic teams. The opportunity gives the children a chance to feel what it's like to be part of a team, to know what it means to be a teammate, to have a feeling of fellowship, and to provide a chance to build lifelong friendships.

Missouri State was one of Champions Committed to Kids' first partners, joining forces with the organization in February of 2010. Since then, a number of MSU programs, including men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, and the Sugar Bears, have adopted a youngster and made positive impacts in their lives through sports.

For more information on the program, please visit www.ChampionsCommittedtoKids.com.