Maryland Track and Field Team Read to Local Elementary School Students
1/24/2009 7:00:00 AM | Track & Field
Jan. 24, 2009
Silver Spring, Md. - The Maryland Track and Field team recently visited Rock Creek Forest Elementary School to read to the elementary school students during the school's "Reading Rocks at RCF" day. This is the second year that the team has participated in the annual reading event.
Head Coach Andrew Valmon hopes to make this an annual winter break community service event for the track team. "I think that as coaches, it is important to develop the full person, because that embodies what the college experience should be," said Valmon. "These young students look up to the student-athletes and want to emulate them, so it is important the student-athletes are giving back to their community and being role models."
The student-athletes were divided into small groups, and took turns rotating through different classrooms to read to the children. Afterward, the student-athletes answered various questions ranging from life as a college student to whether there was a pajama day in college.
Junior distance runner, Ben Diestel reflected on the event stating, "It feels great to have a positive effect on the kids. They seemed to have a great time, and I had just as much fun as they did." While junior jumper Ashley Carbray added, "I felt like that I made a difference in their outlook on college. They seemed to have a greater understanding of the importance of education!"
Rock Creek Forest Elementary School is located in Silver Spring, Maryland and is part of the Montgomery County Public Schools system. The mission of the school is to provide all students knowledge, skills, and work habits that will enable them to become productive members of society.
