Perfect practice
Assistant Big Macs football coach Steve Hubsch leads Zachary Duke (left) in a running drill.
In almost every football game, there is a winning team and a losing team. What happened on Oct. 22 at Canonsburg Memorial Stadium produced nothing but winners.
The Canon-McMillan football team and a group of students from Mrs. Sherree Mohler’s life-skills class came together for a unique practice. The outcomes were particularly special as friendships were made, some football was taught and fun was had by all.
“This group wasn’t unique or different,” said senior Andrew Engle, a Big Macs’ football player. “All of the kids were just like (one another), just some high school students who wanted to try out a new sport. It was my absolute pleasure being able to help out every one who wanted to learn. Yes, we do not normally engage with one another, but this experience changed that greatly.”
The Big Macs’ football team, while preparing for its regular-season finale against Butler – a game Canon-McMillan needed to win to qualify for the WPIAL playoffs – dedicated the practice to opening the doors to the game for fellow C-M students, who participated in drills that develop players and sharpen their skills.
“The football practice event was a collaboration between Coach (Mike) Evans, the varsity football team and me,” said Mrs. Mohler, one of the autistic support-life skills support teachers at Canon-McMillan High School. “Coach Evans wanted to provide an opportunity for the team to give back to the community. I also feel that it is important for my special-needs students to have as much opportunity as possible to interact with their typical peers inside and outside the school building. The football practice was a perfect learning experience for all involved to socialize, provide team building and cooperation, communication, and to make lasting friendships.”
Evans said the intention was to give young people who wouldn’t normally have an opportunity to practice or play football to come together with Big Macs’ football team members to learn, build relationships and learn about one another.
“We had one of the (life-skills) students come down and ask about it,” Evans said. “It’s important to do good things for people. We definitely wanted to help and be part of it. The senior class made signup sheets and organized the practice. They received an overwhelming response. Our senior players do a lot in the community. There’s a lot of involvement. It’s important to learn about others to appreciate what you have and to try to make things better for others.”
The results were more than interesting and certainly positive.
“The kids interacted very well with one another,” Mohler said. “Some of them are non-verbal. It was another learning experience for everyone involved. Sometimes, we all take things for granted. What these kids learned is that there is a way to communicate with your peers even when it is not easy. The football players showed our life-skills kids the way and they taught them things they would never have had a chance to learn.”
Andrew Madden, an eighth grade student of Mohler’s, said he looked forward to the practice and to learning about football.
Henry Cicconi works his way through a football skill drill to improve footwork and agility.
“There was a lot of new things to learn,” Madden said. “I liked it. The players showed us how to do drills and what they did. We saw them run with the ball and throw it. The best part was getting a jersey.”
The life-skills students were given a football jersey to wear during practice and participated in a variety of drills throughout.
“It was a great experience having the kids at our practice,” Engle said. “They taught us just as much as we taught them. I feel like this experience brought us together and hopefully gave all of us new friends. I feel like this experience will give many of us a better understanding of others’ lives. I believe they are not different, they are just seeking interaction with their high school peers. It would give me great pride if the school would decide to make this a traditional yearly activity.”
Mohler and her students had success in the past, working with members of the boys’ basketball team and its coach, Rick Bell.
“This kind of thing just gives my students and the football players an opportunity to connect with people they wouldn’t normally be with,” Mohler said. “My kids aren’t going to be going out for basketball or football or any other sports. It has shed a real positive light on the atmosphere at Canon-McMillan High School. It shows our high school is tolerant and inclusive.”