Standing in two lines in the corner of the football field Friday morning, West Springfield High School cheerleaders clapped and put their hands out for high-fives.
First graders from nearby Cardinal Forest Elementary School in Fairfax County, Virginia, had just completed the half-mile bus ride to the high school’s campus. They excitedly approached the group, smiling and holding signs.
Then, they walked toward benches, which had dozens of books lying across them.
Ronan picked a book called “Roller Coaster” and walked with player Zachary Norton to midfield. As they sat on the midfield logo, Ronan flipped through the pages. At one point, Norton chimed in.
“I remember when I was a kid just as little as you, I went on a roller coaster, couldn’t change my mind,” Norton said. “I got stuck, and I was scared for my life. Scariest roller coaster ever.”
For 45 minutes on Friday, the athletes’ attention shifted from the stress of a game day to inspiring the first graders to read. For the elementary schoolers, it offered an escape from the traditional classroom environment.
“We have a chance where our kids are inspiring our future Spartans,” West Springfield Principal Michael Mukai said. “I think maybe that’s the best thing, is that they’re making a difference for these kids that will one day be walking these same halls.”
Friday marked the first time the elementary schoolers got to read on the football field with their high school peers. Cardinal Forest Principal Felicia Drake said the idea came together because the mom of a West Springfield quarterback works at the elementary school.
That sent the schools scrambling to address logistics, such arranging for buses to transport the students and making sure the athletes’ teachers knew they’d be out of class for the event.
For Christian Sadek, the dynamic was meaningful because he graduated from Cardinal Forest. He sat with Benny, who said they read one book that was scary and that he enjoyed the event because “it makes me know how to read very better.”
“It’s really nice giving back to the community,” Sadek said.
For Norton, the game-day event helped show the value of influencing younger students.
“I want these kids to keep having these dreams, no matter what, through high school, so they can do whatever they want to do in life,” Norton said.
At the end of the session, the first graders sprinted from one end zone to the other alongside the football players and took a picture with them before returning to the bus again.
The school leaders are already brainstorming ways to replicate the event, expanding it to include other elementary grade levels, too.
“A lot of times when you think about football players and cheerleaders on a Friday night on the football field, they’re focused on winning games and championships,” Mukai said. “But really, I think the more important thing is that the kids inspire.”
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