Login

Gallup Sun

Thursday, Mar 28th

Last update12:57:39 AM GMT

You are here: Sports Features Miyamura gives back with football camp

Miyamura gives back with football camp

E-mail Print PDF

The Miyamura varsity football team has kept busy this summer. The team spent the week of July 11 volunteering at the Community Pantry and hosting a football camp for the youth in the community.

The youth football camp is something the team has been doing for years, but the Community Pantry volunteer work is something that was just started this year. A group of moms, dubbed the Patriots Moms, helped organize the outreach program. The football players helped clean up the Community Pantry’s garden, and they taught little kids the basics of football during the youth camp.

New head coach David Foley said he sees the volunteer work as a huge positive for his players.

“I think it’s good for the community to know that we’re not just about football [and] that we appreciate all those who come out and support us […],” Foley said. “I think it’s good for [our kids] to give back because that will promote a long-lasting desire to serve, because when we serve, we give back, we of course feel good about ourselves, we feel good about others, and I want them to grow up to be good men and women in the community and continue to give back even after they graduate from high school.”

In an interview with the Sun, senior player Larry Anthony Silva III said he felt proud about being able to give back to the community.

“It was great to go out and do something to help our little town,” Silva said. “I feel like much of the sports and extracurriculars around the school don’t do much to help around the community. It was a good thing to help out and give back to the community for once.”

Senior Immanuel Desiderio also spoke out about being able to help the local community.

“My favorite part has honestly just been giving back to the community I grew up in. I love this community,” Desiderio said.

Senior Christopher Chavis talked about the kids camp and how much he enjoys being able to teach the kids about football.

“I loved coming to these [camps] as a kid. Now as a football player I see what it takes to get nice jerseys and to get nice stuff, so we kind of need fundraisers, but I also just love giving back to the community,” Chavis said. “It’s like a win-win for us and the community. Like I said, I loved coming to these camps as a kid, so now that I’m in a position to be a role model and show the kids right from wrong, I just think that’s a plus-plus.”

Silva said he’s loved being able to share the joy of the sport with the kids.

“It’s a great thing to teach these kids [how to play football] and see them smiling and laughing. Growing up as a kid, I always loved football, I found it as a way to connect with my friends,” Silva said.

Desiderio said he’s been trying to show the kids what it means to be dedicated to sport such as football.

“The hardest part is showing the upcoming players what it’s like to be dedicated to a sport or dedicated to something that you love and just showing them how hard it is to work and pursue something,” Desiderio said.

Members of the Patriot Moms said that the football team would be holding more fundraising events, but nothing is scheduled as of July 22.

Miyamura’s first official game of the season is Aug. 19 at home against Aztec.

By Molly Ann Howell
Sun Correspondent