Football players win with younger students

Football players win with younger students
Stow -- Carson Merk, a football player at Stow-Munroe Falls High School, lined up at quarterback alongside two dozen boys from Indian Trail Elementary School.
The youngsters all headed downfield. It was a tidal wave of pass receivers.
Merk heaved a long pass that one of the boys, wearing a No. 10 Stow football jersey, caught, then scurried across the grass for an imaginary touchdown.
It was part of a mentoring program where football players from the high school visit five elementary schools -- Echo Hills, Highland, Woodland, Indian Trail and Riverview. Merk goes to Indian Trail every other week.
"It's a win-win situation," said John Lacoste, Indian Trail principal. "The high school players understand about giving back to the community. It's a big school district, but this makes it seem a little smaller."
The program was launched because a group of football parents decided to get involved, with the approval of head coach Marty Tinkler, to give back to the community, according to Barb Bailey, one of the parents.
"Stow-Munroe Falls has been so very generous with donations of food as well as a terrific fan base that supports our team," she said. "So far the boys have been well received. They may read a book, work on a project or activity or even eat lunch with them."
Besides Merk, the following athletes are involved or are getting involved in the program: Rick Bailey, Nick Patrick, Mike Fackelman, Nate Miller, Nick Vitt, Michael Jefferson, Trevor Iwanski, Phillip Ellesin, Sean Carney, Mike Levandowski, Zach Speer and Jeff Trimmer.
Merk said 12th-graders were encouraged to take part.
"I said, 'Why not? It sounds like fun,'" said Merk, a 12th-grade wide receiver who lives in Stow.
Merk picked Indian Trail because that is where he went to school.
"It's fun to come back here and interact with the kids," he said.
After Merk spoke, a young boy sitting next to him added, "And it's fun to play football."
Merk, wearing his No. 18 football jersey, went to Shannon Hartman's second-grade class where he read part of the book "Jake the Drake, Teacher's Pet," to 22 youngsters who listened quietly.
Among the students was 8-year-old Danny Tinkler, who also wore a No. 18 jersey.
"Carson is my favorite player," said Danny, son of the head coach.
Lexi Petit, 8, said Merk is a good reader. Drew Brubaker, 8, agreed, saying, "It makes me want to read more."
The students previously colored pictures dedicated to the team with drawings of tiny football players. There were words like: "Go, Stow Bulldogs" and "Stow Bulldogs rock."
Next, Merk and the children headed to the gym for lunch.
"It doesn't seem like it was that long ago that I went to school here," said Merk, who, like the elementary students, had a piece of pizza, fish sticks and container of chocolate milk.
The youngsters sitting around him were full of questions.
"How many touchdowns did you score last week?" one boy asked Sept. 19.
"None last week, but I had two the week before," Merk answered.
"What do you like to watch on TV?" another boy asked.
"Football," he responded.
A boy asked Merk what he thought of the Cleveland Indians. When he said they were having a bad year, the boy playfully nudged him in the arm.
After that, children from the lunch area headed behind the school where they played football with Merk. At one point, about a dozen youngsters chased after Merk, who was playing quarterback, and tackled him. Merk briefly disappeared beneath a pile of young tacklers.
Hartman said the program is worthwhile.
"We really enjoy it," she said. "We hope it continues."
So do all the youngsters who show up wearing Stow Football Jerseys, hoping to catch a pass from one of the varsity players.
E-mail: mlesko@recordpub.com
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