Shelby Liska, a Kennedy School sixth-grader, goes one on one against Kansas University basketball player Brad Witherspoon during a Fun

Three members of the Kansas University basketball team coupled a little playtime with education Tuesday at Kennedy School.

“It was a little thing we do called Fun and Fitness with the Jayhawks,” senior guard Brad Witherspoon said. “We come to the schools, hang out with the kids, play some P.E. games with them, talk to them about health and fitness.”

Witherspoon, along with senior forward Darnell Jackson and junior guard Brandon Rush, met with Kennedy sixth-graders and talked about healthy habits. They also played basketball and signed autographs.

“I was kind of amazed that they’d come down to the school,” sixth-grader Marshall Rials said.

The favorite part of the day was seeing the basketball players and getting their autographs, Shelby Liska, another student, said.

And the Jayhawks liked meeting with the youngsters, too.

“I enjoy playing with the kids,” Jackson said. “It’s my favorite thing.”

Witherspoon agrees.

“It’s just fun to get out here and mingle with the kids and have some fun,” he said.

The Fun and Fitness program supports the school district’s wellness policy. The student athletes encourage young students to exercise regularly and eat healthy foods. The program also gives kids an opportunity to see the players up close.

“Some kids don’t get a chance to come to the fieldhouse and watch us play, so we just came here and just played around with them a little bit,” Jackson said.

The team, which starts its season Nov. 1 with an exhibition game against Pittsburg State University, has been engaged this semester in community service in Lawrence schools, with programs including KU Reads and Hawks, Cops and Kids.

And will these good deeds off the court be paid back on the court – perhaps in the form of an NCAA Tournament victory?

“If it works out that way, I’m all with it, but we just have to go one game at a time,” Jackson said.