University of Massachusets Athletics
Football Players Reaching Out To The Community
April 14, 2009 | Football
April 14, 2009
AMHERST, Mass. -- UMass kicker Armando Cuko and his teammates took time out from their busy schedules to welcome some fourth graders from Sheffield Elementary School in Turners Falls to the UMass campus and McGuirk Alumni Stadium. Cuko writes about the three classes visit a few weeks ago.
In mid-March three fourth grade classes from Sheffield Elementary in Turners Falls, Mass. came to visit us at UMass as part of an initiative started by Principal Elizabeth Musgrave to expose her students to colleges in the surrounding community.
After attending a performance at the Fine Arts Center and eating lunch at Hampshire Dining Hall, the students began their long-awaited trek to McGuirk Stadium. Coach Kevin Morris had arranged for 11 of my teammates to meet the fourth graders at the stadium during the afternoon. The students prepared questions to ask the athletes questions about what it's like being a student-athlete and how hard they had to work to get to this point.
At 1:00, the wide-eyed group of fourth graders arrived at the stadium and was greeted by Coach Matthew Chapman, as well as players Ke'Mon Bailey, Armando Cuko, Brandon Collier, Bryan Fisher, Nick Haag, Kyle Havens, Ray Jones, Stephane Milhim, David Ramsden, Warren Wilson, and Scott Woodward. After breaking into smaller groups and asking the athletes questions for about 30 minutes, the students were surprised with a visit to the locker room. All 70 students filed into the locker room where a table was set up with dozens of posters. The athletes autographed everything from t-shirts and sneakers, to arms and notebooks.
The fourth grade students who once viewed UMass as "that college in Amherst" were soon speaking of their hope to attend UMass when they're older and that they can't wait to go to football games with their families now that they know the players. It was certainly a field trip that these students will never forget.
