This story comes from Roby Stahl - and tells of a great opportunity to help increase awareness in literacy, as well as a chance to take in some Indiana hoops hysteria.
A few weeks ago I had one of the best experiences ever. Ever seen the basketball classic movie, Hoosiers? Well here I was in Milan, Indian at the invitation of one of the elementary school teachers to meet and work with her students. For the past 12 years I have driven past the Milan exit on the way to and from Indianapolis and Cincinnati always thinking I need to stop there. So when Stephanie Seimler emailed me about addressing her class I jumped at the chance of driving the 1.3 hours trip with great expectations. Never expected though what I would find.
The Milan High School basketball team if you remember captured the Indiana state championship in 1954, unprecedented for a small team. In those days all the schools were lumped together. The coach was played by Gene Hackman. I pretty much was there for the sights.
Driving through town (about three blocks) I could feel the sense of tradition. Unfortunately the old high school and its famous gym have been long gone.
Entering the elementary school I was greeted by all the staff that seemed to be pleased I was there and presented with gifts commemorating the 1954 team. Stephanie asked that I spend some time with the kids talking about reading. Great kids, great questions. Right up my alley as I used to volunteer reading to/with at risk kids in my son’s elementary school a few hours a week. We talked about how reading can open the doors to the whole world, taking you places you might never get to. Of course we got into sports and soccer eventually. After an hour of questions they asked if we could go to the gym and play soccer. Then the fun began…kids running, jumping, twisting and turning and generally being kids (nothing unusual about this for us coaches).
What is unusual is that this is a very depressed community and many of the kids come from broken homes and several of their parents are in jail or unemployed. Most do not have enough to eat and the school provides breakfast and lunch to the students. If the parents do not get them to school that day…they do not eat. This put a totally different prospective on the day. The whole day seemed more important. The questions they asked seemed deeper and more important to them. When it was time to say goodbye I wanted to just stay there for longer. I hoped I gave them some hope for the future.
Here is the letter I received when I returned home:
Roby,
I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to come to Milan to talk to the students. It is so wonderful to have someone tell them that they can be anything they want. I tell them, but it meant a great deal coming from someone else. The students truly enjoyed their time with you. We had reading groups after you left, and they all were so excited about getting out a book and reading together. You made a huge impact on their outlook. Thanks again for your time. You are an inspiration
Are you kidding me? They are the inspiration to someone like me! It’s not about the soccer but about having an impact…this might be the best time of their day, the time they spend with you. Make it important!
End of story …I visited the Milan 1954 museum and saw all the real life things and photos from the movie then drove around town for a while. Have to go out and buy Hoosiers today. I am planning on taking both my Kings team (USL) and my girls team back one day to see history and to help provide some role models for these incredible kids and teachers.
Take a few hours a week and volunteer somewhere to make a difference. That is what makes America great!
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