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St. Patrick named NFL "Super School"

By Kevin Kelly
Catholic Key Associate Editor

KANSAS CITY — Think Arrowhead Stadium gets loud? Try the gymnasium at St. Patrick School in Kansas City, north.

Eight Kansas City Chiefs rookies showed up Nov. 23 to deafening cheers from some 120 children as they presented the school with the National Football League’s “Super School” award, earned by the school’s commitment to physical fitness and healthy lifestyles.

The award also came with a check for $10,000, one of the 32 grants the NFL awards to an elementary school physical fitness program in each NFL city.
Chiefs’ Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Mark Donavan told the children during the ear-splitting rally that the award is part of the NFL’s “Play 60” program, and its partner program with the Midwest Dairy Council, “Fuel Up to Play 60,” that encourages children to eat smart as well as play hard.

The entire school assembled in the gymnasium, and without much encouragement from two Chiefs cheerleaders as well as K.C. Wolf, the Chiefs’ mascot, started to bring the roof down. When the eight rookies came into the room, the walls started shaking.

The Chiefs players were:

• 
  Top draft pick and defensive back Eric Berry.
  
• Kick returner and wide receiver Dexter McCluster, who came wearing a Chiefs red and gold dreadlocks hat over his signature dreadlocks hairstyle.
  
• Offensive lineman Jon Asamoah.
  
• Running back Tervais Johnson.
  
• Wide receiver Verran Tucker.
  
• Defensive back Kendrick Lewis.
  
• Wide receiver Jeremy Horne.
  
• Tight end Tony Moeaki.

St. Patrick Principal Julie Hess said the school won its award for its “Back to Football Friday” event at the beginning of the school year in which all the children participated in vigorous outdoor play, including touch football, to celebrate the opening of the NFL season. “We’re going to use the money to build a walking and running trail behind the school,” she said.

That creativity and commitment is typical of Catholic schools, said Diocesan School Superintendent Dr. Dan Peters, who watched the scene at St. Patrick with pride.
“I am so proud to be a participant in this event,” he said, giving praise to both the school and the Chiefs. “This shows how creative and enthusiastic our students and our staff are,” he said. “At the same time, it shows how a professional athletic organization supports the school system.”

Physical fitness is an important part of a total Catholic education, Hess said.
“It is important that they nourish their bodies as much as their minds and spirit, and take care of the bodies God has given us,” she said. Physical Education teacher Lema Easley said fitness is taken as seriously as every class at St. Patrick. “It is so important to keep kids active,” Easley said. “We teach them that the heart is a muscle and they need to take care of it. We run a lot, and play a lot, and stretch a lot to keep the muscles loose and the joints flexible.” St. Patrick children are also encouraged to take their fitness lessons home and involve their families. “We ask them what they did over the weekend, if they went for a walk or bike-ride with their families,” Easley said. “There are a lot of wonderful family activities they can do every weekend.”

“Play 60” encourages children to go outside and play hard for 60 minutes every day. Chiefs Insider Josh Looney, the person who links fans to the team on kcchiefs.com. “That doesn’t mean you have to go out and run for an hour,” he said. “But it means you are going to get 60 minutes of exercise every day” even in short intervals throughout the day.

St. Patrick was chosen as the “Super School” for Kansas City out of hundreds of schools because of the commitment of the entire school to a healthy lifestyle.
“We are here because you are committed to your school, committed to fitness and committed to eating right,” Looney said. Keri Olson of the Midwest Dairy Council pointed to the eight professional athletes and told them they got to be professional athletes because they exercised and ate right when they were kids.
“All these guys have to eat right to be able to compete,” she said. “We want to be sure you’ll be eating from nutrient-rich food groups. When you fill your body up right, you’ll be able to compete too.”

With NFL football being a six-day-a-week job in season, the Chiefs rookies gave up their only day off that week. They will even be working out Thanksgiving Day to prepare for their Nov. 28 game in Seattle. But not a single one of them was in a hurry to leave. In fact, they stuck around for another two hours to lead the children through activities. McCluster, for example, showed off his hula-hoop skills.
“This is great,” he said. “We’re having fun, and I love doing it.” “It’s always great to give back to the community,” Horne said. “This is what I went to school for.”

The children also had questions for the Chiefs. Berry was asked who his most inspiring coach was. “Emmitt Thomas,” he quickly answered, naming the former Chiefs great and NFL Hall of Famer who now serves as Berry’s defensive backs coach. “He’s in the Hall of Fame, so he knows what he’s talking about,” he said.
Asamoah, who tips the scales at 305, was asked how much he eats before a game.
“A lot,” he said. “I eat a lot because I’m a big guy.” And the big question: Are the Chiefs going to make the NFL playoffs this year? “The way the Kansas City Chiefs are playing right now,” said McCluster, “we’re definitely going to the playoffs.”
That brought out the loudest cheers of the day.

Hess said that the fact that the Chiefs would come to their school told the students that they do, even as they play, is important. “It tells them that their hard work pays off,” she said.