“Starting at point guard for the Roadrunners…”
That’s how Angelina College head men’s basketball coach Kyle Manary introduced every Kurth Elementary School student as the youngsters entered the door on Monday for their first day of school.
Following Manary’s introductions, with members of the Roadrunner basketball team forming a walk-through line, each child received from the players high fives, fist bumps and, on a few occasions, hugs. The tiny kids combined with what must have appeared as giant basketball players made for some hilarious interactions, with the little guys jumping and the big guys stooping.
Parents and faculty members at the school got the same treatment in the walk-through line. They just didn’t have to jump as high.
The event was part of Manary’s and other AC coaches’ community services focus, where teams from AC Athletics make contributions to area schools and other entities.
The idea, Manary added, came from over his head: His wife, Heather, is a second-grade teacher at Kurth.
“My wife thought it would be a great idea for our guys to come over and cheer the kids on for their first day of school,” Manary said. “We wanted to make it special for them. It was an opportunity to meet and greet the parents while getting the kids all fired up for their first day.”
And while it might seem a tough task to rouse college students at 6 a.m. on a non-class morning, Manary said his guys were pumped from the time they got the word.
“Truthfully, they were fired up about it,” Manary said. “When we got to the school, our players were bouncing up and down, clapping and doing chants. This group of guys is special. They get how important it is for young kids to have role models, and they’re buying into it. They knew when they signed on to play at Angelina College, it’s what we’re about. We want the community to embrace these guys, and we want all the kids to look up to them. They’re the Michael Jordans for some these area kids.
“The biggest spirit in a person’s body is right there inside a little kid,” Manary noted. “We want to give them some hope and something to shoot for. Maybe their goals will be to become basketball players one day, but hopefully we got some new Roadrunner fans.”
The e-mail address for AC’s Sports Information Director is gstallard@angelina.edu.
