Romeo Smith got a significant reminder Friday that he needs to continue working hard in school so he can go to college and get a degree in graphic arts or video editing – he’s not yet exactly sure of his future major.
“School is important, and I know I need to work hard on things like taking algebra as an eighth-grader this year, and take geometry next year,” said Romeo, who was one of the Cortland Junior High School students rewarded for being one of the pupils who earned significant points in the schools’ R.O.A.R. awards.
ROAR honors students who show “Respect, are Open-hearted, act Safely and are Responsible.”
Romeo and about two dozen other students got to spend an hour Friday meeting about 10 members of the national champion SUNY Cortland football team, including participating in some “two-on-two” football with junior defensive back Shane Patterson and a second player.
Think of it as practice: The Red Dragons, who play Brockport today, are 8-0 on the season, ranked No. 2 going into the last game of the regular season next week – against the Ithaca College Bombers in the decades-old rivalry called the Cortaca Jug.
“Our players got as much out of this as the kids did,” SUNY Cortland football head coach Curt Fitzpatrick said at the event’s end. “And it helps connect school and the love of sport” for the middle-schoolers.
The hour began slowly, with many of the middle-schoolers shyly waiting on gymnasium bleachers. Several had questions, but were reluctant to approach and ask. Students snuck glances at the college players, who wore their red-lettered white game jerseys, though several students seemed equally as interested in Duke, a golden retriever/service dog, chasing a tennis ball English teacher Adrienne Newcomb or other teachers had thrown.
Eventually, though, the players and the children claimed lunches from a table in the gym. They sat in small groups – typically two players and two to four younger people.
“Anyone here play football?” a college student asked.
Several hands shot up – though one whose hand did not, said, “I’m too small.”
“How old are you guys?” said another player. When he was told the youngster was an eighth-grader, he nodded, smiled, and said “Oh, you’ve got time” to get bigger.
The students grew more enthusiastic about their questions. A common one: “How old were you when you began playing football?”
Most responses involved single-digit ages, though senior placekicker Mike Baloga said he first played organized football when he was a high-school freshman.
He also suggested an important lesson that he had learned in college was to “be kind and empathetic,” and encouraged the younger students to do the same.
