Albion football starts Big Brother program
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Varsity football player Shyheim Jakes, number 21, walks towards the football field with Jack Ludwick, who plays on the modified team. Each varsity player walked to the field for Homecoming on Sept. 22 while holding hands with a modified player.
It’s part of a new Big Brother program, where varsity players are paired with kids who play on the modified program in grades 7 and 8.
Pom Seibert, a lineman on the modified team, walks to the field with Caleb Pettit, number 50, who plays on the line for the varsity team.
There are about 30 players on both varsity and modified. Adam Krenning, the head varsity coach, said the program is intended to make the modified players better student athletes. The varsity players help some of the modified team members with homework and stress the importance of keeping their grades up.
“This program gives the younger player a big brother to talk to,” Krenning said. “It is our hope that this program will build a relationship between our varsity and modified student athletes.”
Photo by Sue Starkweather Miller: Modified players join the varsity team for warmups on the field before the Homecoming game on Sept. 22.
Krenning said he hopes players from both levels will attend each other’s games. Some of the varsity players, who are now 5-0 on the season, have attended the modified games which was a thrill to the players in seventh and eighth grade, Krenning said.
The modified players have also joined the varsity players on the field for warmups before the home games. Krenning said that shows the modified players how to prepare for the game and gives them a sense of the thrill of playing under the lights before a big home crowd.
Tyler Gibson, number 7, is quarterback for the modified team. He joins Bryce Pritchard, number 8, who is the varsity quarterback. They walked through a line of youth football players, their parents and coaches before the game on Sept. 22.
