Maryland Made: Student-Athletes Crush B1G Reading Week

On February 25th, select Maryland student-athletes participated in the B1G Impact Reading Week Initiative. The event started in late January and will run through the end of the month for the Big Ten Conference.

“Doing B1G Reading Week was super impactful for me because I look back at the experiences that I had at a young age and how it fostered my curiosity and love for learning,” football’s Phillip Noyes said. “Being able to give that experience to others is something that I am really grateful for.”

University of Maryland Student-Athletes volunteered their time to read to K-2 elementary school students on February 25th at University Park Elementary in University Park, MD.

“Reading to the kids for B1G Reading Week was a great experience,” track athlete AnnaMarie Tretola. “It’s always so fun getting to chat with and read to the students. It’s not just about sharing stories but about connecting with and inspiring young readers! Giving back to the local community through UMD reminds me of how important it is to use our time and resources to make a positive impact!”

The B1G Reading Week initiative is dedicated to empowering student-athletes by encouraging them to make a positive impact through reading books to youth. Through Big Impact Reading Week, the Big Ten continues to champion the importance of education, empathy, and inclusivity, creating a sense of community that extends beyond the playing field. 

“B1G Reading Week was a great way for us as athletes to give back to the community,” women’s golf’s Julia Garcia said. “Especially being at the University of Maryland, I feel it is important to not only spread our Terrapin pride but represent and support our state whenever we can. It was such a pleasure to be able to read, talk to the kids, and hopefully inspire them about our paths in college athletics!”

This year’s books included “I Am Jackie Robinson” — in celebration of Black History Month — and “TeeTee’s World Adventure”  — by USC Olympian TeeTee Terry.  Student-athletes read books to K-5 students and answered their questions about the student-athlete experience.

“I was so happy to do B1G Reading Week because I not only know it’s so important to give back to the community that supports us, but it’s amazing to meet the young people that are actually going to the games and cheering us on,” women’s basketball’s Ava McKinnie said. “For me, personally, I wanted to be an educator for quite some time out of high school, so anytime I can teach or interact with kids and help them grow is something I cherish and value to grow myself as well. The three classes we went to all brought something different to the book we read. Some focused on friendship and how you really need a support system to build you up, while others may have focused on the actual logistics of the sport with good questions about what it’s like to play in college. Seeing these different stages in thinking was not only fascinating, but really brings you back to the enjoyment of being in elementary school.”