Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl QB Russell Wilson Inspires Chinese Children on Great Wall
Children from China sporting Russell Wilson’s Nike Seahawks gear gathered on the Great Wall earlier this week for a football clinic with the Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl Champion Quarterback. This is the first time that an any NFL player has held a football clinic on the Great Wall.
Young athletes ages 8-12 came out to pass, run and have fun with the Super Bowl XLVIII champion. Wilson told kids that, “no matter how big you are, what’s important is how hard you work and how much you want it.”
Wilson has spent the week in Shanghai and Beijing on an action filled cultural and youth activation tour planned by Nike. In addition, Wilson teamed up with Alibaba, Chinese e-commerce giant, to bring awareness to American Football and youth involvement.
In Shanghai and Beijing, Wilson inspired young athletes, met tons of fans and spread his dedication, love and gratitude for the world. This is a vision Wilson had the desire to fulfill since day one as a Nike athlete. This joint venture is just the beginning of a long term mission to see global change.
Wilson’s wife, Grammy-winning singer songwriter Ciara, joined him in Shanghai and Beijing to experience the people, Chinese culture, historic sights, and cuisine.
“Fans here have been really welcoming,” said Wilson. “I appreciate all the support from my fans and the 12s in China and am excited to share my passion for football with them. This has been an amazing trip for Ciara and our family and we can’t wait to come back soon and continue to make a difference in China.”
Wilson is sharing his personal journey and adventure with kids around the world on TraceMe.com his global digital platform allowing fans of all ages to access exclusive content online.
He hopes to bring the Russell Wilson Passing Academy and RWQB to China in partnership with Alibaba next year. Their goal, to develop daily coaching and tips on training as well as hosting a physical camp which he will attend.
NFL China Managing Director, Richard Young:
“It has been great having Russell in China. We are really seeing more players taking an interest in China and actively supporting the tremendous growth of the NFL in China. Russell Wilson is truly at the forefront of bringing football to China.
About the National Football League (NFL)
Founded in 1920, the National Football League (NFL) has been called “one of America’s best-run businesses” and is admired for its structure, core values and innovative policies that promote athletic competition at the highest level. With 32 teams located across the United States, the NFL is the #1 sports league in America, outranking the NBA (basketball), MLB (baseball) and NHL (hockey) combined as the people’s favorite. The NFL’s championship game, the Super Bowl, is the most-watched program in US TV history and has also become a popular international sports event broadcast in more than 200 countries and territories and in over 30 languages.
About NFL China
NFL China, the league’s fifth international office, was established in Beijing in October 2007, demonstrating the NFL’s long-term commitment to China and is a significant milestone in the NFL’s continuing effort to promote its game worldwide. In China, the NFL aims to develop its fan base, increasing fan avidity and passion for the game through strategic cooperation with national and regional media partners, and focused marketing efforts around flag football development. Kantar-CSM China research shows that there are over 19 million people interested in the NFL in China, predominantly in the Tier 1 cities. Of these 19 million, there are approximately 1 million avid NFL fans. The NFL fan base in China has grown 1087% over the past 5 years and research shows that the NFL logo is well recognized and is strongly associated with quality and authenticity.
