Hangin' with the 3rd grade class of international students at Innsbruck Elementary School.
On Wednesday, the international Swarco Raiders paid a visit to Innsbruck Elementary School to visit with a 3rd grade classroom of students in the growing "international program" and teach them about the game of American Football. As typically happens when spending time with a group of young people, I think we were the ones who walked away inspired!
Rush helps a student get into a helmet...
... always a fan favorite and good for a laugh!
Our mission was to help teach the children about the very foreign game of American Football. Most had never seen a game before, but were enthusiastic to talk with us and ask questions. We of course brought a helmet and shoulder pads for them to try on - and I must say they looked pretty good!
The boyz seemed right at home in the classroom, although they might not have fit in the desks.
The visit was arranged by defensive backs coach Rush Bowers, who is good friends with one of the teachers at the school, Roberto Lorenzatto. "Rob," as he introduced himself to us, epitomizes the spirit of the program, as he is of Brazilian descent yet was raised in the Boston Area. It was great to watch him instruct a classroom full of Austrian, American, English, African, and European students, all thrown together to learn -- and of course become Red Sox fans. He team-teaches with Daniela Witsch, who has helped develop this program at the school The duo give these kids a fantastic environment to learn, which was evident by their big smiles, great behavior, and fun-loving attitudes. It was so refreshing to meet such great kids!
Jennifer, from Nigeria, shows off her guns. She might look better than me in #6!
We showed a Raiders highlight film, discussed the rules of the game, and most importantly, taught them that school is extremely important. With a room full of future archeologists (2), singers (4), veterinarians (3), and teachers (4), we hope the message was received!
The Class Schedule (Click to make big)
As we walked down the hall, I was interested to see the class schedule. The 8 & 9 year get a dose of German, some English, and a lot in between, yet are finished typically in the early afternoon. It was also interesting to see something on their schedule called "Unterricht" which stands for Art, Craft, Music, and Peace Builders... I think we all need a little more Unterricht in our lives!
The faces are priceless!
We finished our hour-long visit with a trip outside to practice some football skills. We organized the children into groups of running backs and line-backers, and allowed them all to run with the ball. It was so fun watching them start to play!
I love the intensity. I tried to explain to Jennifer about Christian Okoye (The Nigerian Nightmare), but she hadn't heard of her home country's most famous footballer.
Red takes it to the outside!
In the end, as always happens, a touch football game broke out. The girls (plus me & Gonzalo) gave the boys (plus Matt & Alex) a good fight, ending in a 6-6 tie! However (insert dramatic music here) the real victory was the memories we made (tear).
Matt and Alex draw plays in the dirt.
This little speedster took it the length of the field for the final score, reminding me a very important rule of thumb: When picking teams, take the kid with the wristbands!
~ J. Twice
1 comment:
That was very cool to see you at the school with the kids. They sure looked like they were enjoying it
Cheers
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