First United Methodist Church brought the NFL to the people on Sept. 9 as it played host to the league’s “Punt, Pass and Kick” competition.

The event sponsored by the NFL was, according to organizer Keith Ely, surprisingly easy to put together.

“We just contacted the NFL and they sent us a box full of stuff,” Ely said.

That box full of stuff was all the church would need to put on perhaps the first event of its kind in town.

“We didn’t know if there had ever been another one in town,” Ely said. “We looked and looked and couldn’t find any record of one being held.”

Although the event was perhaps new to Lawrence, it has certainly boasted a number of familiar names. NFL players such as Drew Bledsoe and Dan Marino competed in the competition before becoming big names on the football field.

Such names may spark visions of greatness among those who take part in the competitions. But on this occasion, Dakota Zinn, who participated in the age 10-11 group, broke things down into much simpler terms.

“I like football,” he said.

Ten-year-old Hunter Dedloff, who plays for Lawrence Youth Football’s Chops team, came out to see what he could do in the competition, albeit with a cast on his left arm.

Fortunately, if such a word can be associated with a broken arm, the cast was not on his throwing arm.

“I was running in my friend’s backyard,” Dedloff, a Deerfield Elementary student, said. “I fell down and my arm went under me. It hurt quite a bit, but it didn’t bother me today.”

All told nearly 15 participants (ages 8-15) came out on the misty Saturday morning to try their hands, and feet, at earning a spot in the competition’s sectional round in Bonner Springs.

Each athlete took turns throwing the ball for distance, kicking off a tee and punting.

Each attempt accumulated points for the participant en route to a final total got the competitors into the next round.

Although the event lasted less than two hours, it was certainly a success. Five of the participants moved on to the sectionals in Bonner Springs by winning their age groups, and for the adults in attendance the real goal was achieved.

“It’s great to see the kids out here participating in an event like this,” Ely said. “They’re outside and having fun. That’s what’s nice about it.”