Students from the Thomas Hooker School in Bridgeport crowded around the players with outstretched hands hoping for an autograph.
“Can I have one for my brother, too?” said one student. The players laughed as they signed their names quickly on countless pieces of paper.
This is a common scene for the members of the Fairfield University men’s basketball team. Every Friday in the pre-season, the team goes to a different inner city school in Bridgeport to read stories and talk to the children about school and basketball.
“I have a lot of fun with it because it’s new every time” said Rob Thompson ’04, a center for the team. “I had one kid climbing on me like I was a jungle gym.”
At this particular school the student population is about 95 percent minority, and all of the students are considered at the poverty level.
“Reading, by example, gives the students a positive role model. And basketball is very popular here … [they] very much admire the Fairfield players,” said fifth grade teacher Joseph Clark.
Two of the players entered Clark’s class, and the students were in awe. They flooded the players with questions.
“Wow! How many feet are you?” shouted one student. Clark said that the children were very excited when they found out the athletes were coming, “[They were] very very crazy, dying to get autographs already [this morning].”
“We came to show you guys how important it is to read,” said Michael Bell ’06, a shooting guard, after the class listened to him read a story during one visit last month.
“It’s important to get good grades and read a lot. Without that you can’t play basketball,” said Mike Van Schaick ’07, shooting guard, to the fifth graders.
The kids treated the players like stars. One little boy, Darryl Williams, asked if he could stay the night with the players. When it was time to go, he was ready with his book bag and started following them out.
Another student, Gaby Hayes, said, “It’s cool to have tall basketball players come and read.”
Jayden Wood, another student, said in a barely audible voice, “[It] makes me read better.”
Coach Tim O’Toole also had some advice for the young students. “You never hear of people in the NBA that didn’t do well in school,” he said. “It’s really important, and this is more important than anything, to keep trying.”
O’Toole also sees the benefits that the players get from the reading program. He said that as being a part of a Jesuit school it’s important that the players get a feeling for fulfilling the objective of body, mind and spirit.
“It’s important that they understand that they’re giving back, and that they are part of something bigger” O’Toole said. “There’s the stereotype of ‘dumb jocks’, [and it’s] not true. Just because you’re an athlete doesn’t mean you can’t do good in school.”
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