The varsity football players are used to being in the limelight on the field, but team members are stepping out of the Friday night lights to illuminate the minds of younger students — and hopefully to inspire them, too. 

“This program has been going on since I’ve been there,” David Proffitt, head football coach, said about the team’s seniors going back to their elementary schools to read to the classes of their old teachers. “What we’ve found is that our football [program] is very community-based.  We, as a program, rely on their support but we feel that we need to [give] back to the community with our younger people in some way. In doing that, we feel by going into the grammar schools with our players to read to [the kids], doesn’t matter what they’re reading, [is the best way].”

Proffitt believes having “just the mere presence of someone older” has a positive influence on the students and shows that there’s more to the football program than Friday night lights.

“These young people need to know that we’re not just football players.  We are real human beings and at one time we were where they’re sitting.  To go a step further, the same could be said with the high school players in relation to a college or pro players,” Proffitt said.

An old Flames player who used to look up to football players himself, Pete Baldaccini, senior, is one player especially excited to become a good role-model for the younger students.

“I remember when I was a little kid I would always come to the high school football games and see all of the varsity players.  [I would] go ‘oh my gosh, you guys are so cool’ and [I now realize] it makes them feel that they’re on the same level as us, they’re able to take to us, and they’re able to communicate and be friends with us,” Baldaccini said.

Proffitt says all of the players enjoy reading to the kids and want to too.  

“I want to inspire them and I want them to be motivated.  Whether it’s with school or whether it’s with sports.  I want kids to be able to look up to me [say] ‘he’s the reason why I did this’ or ‘he’s the reason that I tried so hard’ or ‘I want to be just like him when I get to his age,’ ” Baldaccini said.  “I know that’s how I was with a ton of other people [when I was their age].”