BEDFORD — The Jr. Stars Athletics football program will take the field this weekend in a venue most players only dream about: Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts.
The Bedford-based youth program will play Paoli on Sunday, Sept. 21, giving young athletes the rare chance to compete in an NFL stadium during the Colts’ regular season.
“This is our first year playing up there, and the kids have been talking about it all year,” coach Eric Spreen said.
Founded as Junior Stars Football, the organization has expanded in recent years to include basketball and baseball, adopting the broader Junior Stars Athletics name. Now in its third year, the program continues to grow in participation.
“We are in our 3rd year. The program has grown every year,” Spreen said. “We are getting a lot of the young kids started early, and we had a really good group of 3rd graders join our 3rd and 4th grade team this year, and everything is going really good.”
Junior Stars provides opportunities for student-athletes across southern Indiana, helping kids develop skills on the field while learning teamwork, discipline, and leadership. Sunday’s game against Paoli marks a milestone in the program’s short history.
Supporters can help the program through its fundraising campaign, which offers passes for seating and field access for the Lucas Oil game. More information is available at juniorstarsyouthfootball.playbookraise.com.
