When Ross Maddalon interviewed for the job as Ewing High football coach, he stressed that, if hired, one of his goals was to do community outreach programs with his team.
And how did the players feel about that?
Pretty darn good, in fact.
One of Maddalon’s first projects was to participate in the Read Across America program, where members of his team would read from books to elementary school students from kindergarten through 2nd grade.
“Once coach Maddalon approached us with the question of whether we wanted to read to the elementary school, with no hesitation we all signed up for the task,” senior Zaire Lowe said.
Senior Dorian Williams was pleasantly surprised that the football players were being given the opportunity to do something for the first time since Drew Besler was the head coach.
“I was definitely excited to be doing it and looked forward to it for the weeks leading up to it,” Williams said. “It was an opportunity I did not want to pass up.”
Maddalon was certain his guys would enjoy it. He took a group of seniors that included Tavon Lattimer, Nein Davila, Andrew Ryczkowski, Isaiah Harrison, Jayden Townsend, Jay’lin Saint Clair, Williams and Lowe to Parkway Elementary in early March. On March 23, juniors Josh Gillis, Josh Baker, Amir Latimer, Chaz Heading and Gio Zissett, and sophomore Nate Hilty visited Antheil.
The coach plans on taking another group to Lore after spring break.
“I knew it would be a good experience for them,” he said. “I’ve never done it before, I’ve just seen schools that have done it. I’ve got a couple kids that I wasn’t sure how they would be reading in front of kids. They’re usually pretty quiet. But they came out of their shell.
“They really got into it. Especially after the first time they read. They got a comfort level that was really, really good. Each and every player was into it. I saw some of our kids talk and get into things more than they ever did on the football field. Some of them on the field were as quiet as church mice. But a lot of them, their personality came out, they were excited. They were really solid.”
Lowe said he never experienced that kind of thing when he was in elementary school, but recommended that all high school programs should give back in such a way. The book he read was The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend.
“When reading I tried to sound more like a narrator and go with the flow,” Lowe said. “It felt very wholesome seeing their reactions with each flip of the page.”
Although Williams doesn’t recall athletes ever performing Reading Across America narrations when he was a youngster, he does remember “older students” coming in to read and interact with special activities.
“Those times were really fun and I always catch myself thinking back to it,” he said. “Knowing how I felt when I was in the young childrens’ shoes makes this experience all the more sincere and special for me. Knowing I was able to give back and give them the experience that I loved so much.”
Williams’ book was “Box Boy.” Showing how serious he took it, Dorian actually laid out a game plan before starting to read.
“Knowing that this was a very young group of kids, I knew I would need to be animated and exaggerate to make the book more enjoyable,” he explained. “So while reading, I changed the tone and pitch of my voice. I exaggerated every part, which made the book more enjoyable for the kids.”
The result was exactly what Williams was hoping for.
“When I started reading and saw how lively the kids were, it made me feel great,” he said. “Seeing the enjoyment on their faces was really nice. After every page I read, I heard giggles and laughs coming from them so it was heartwarming knowing they enjoyed it and had fun.”
The players went in 15-20 minute rotations with each class, and the session lasted for 90 minutes. Maddalon advised them to start slowly, and gradually get into it. He was proud of how well his guys handled it, and also the reaction of the students.
“The kids loved it,” the coach said. “The kids thought they were giants. I went to the kindergarten class and one kid didn’t even know who our kid was and he said ‘Oh you’re my favorite football player.’ So our guys’ egos were all pumped up so that’s good too. It was truly outstanding, it was better than I thought. I was very pleased with it.”
Maddalon admitted he approached his guys with a bit of trepidation.
“It’s tough to say what you think they’re gonna be like,” he said. “You’re wondering if they’re thinking ‘Oh we’re high schoolers, they’re little kids.’ You think they might be thinking ‘Well this is nice, but it’s just a way to get out of school.’ By the time it was all said and done, literally they were all into it.”
There were questions thrown out from both sides. The students would ask the players where they were going to college and what were their career plans. The players would ask the kids how many wanted to be football players, and Maddalon was enthused by the amount who said yes.
“I only hope our numbers are that good in a few years,” he said with a laugh.
On the ride home, the coach polled the bus, asking his guys what they thought, and noted, “they all loved it.”
Which Maddalon loves hearing, considering how he thinks community work is so important for his team.
“It was just good to do something where you’re reaching out to the community a little bit,” he said. “I want the football program to lead by example. I want them to be role models, pillars of the community. I want them to be people that younger kids look up to.
“I don’t want it to be where it’s just a football program and that’s all they’re concerned about. If you’re gonna produce well-rounded and developed young individuals full of integrity, it’s gonna be kids who are getting the full experience. Going out, helping out no matter what it is. Experiences like this go a long way with them deciding how they want to be in life.”
The coach concluded by saying, “This is just the beginning. There’s a lot of other things we can do.”
Which is certainly good news for the folks of Ewing.
Football team members Isaiah Harrison and Zaire Lowe, both seniors, read to Parkway Elementary School students as part of the Read Across America program.,
