The Winter Sports Captains took a field trip on Tuesday, February 7th to local elementary school Albert Payson Terhune to read a book called “Hog Mollies” to second graders.

They did it through the 2nd and 7 organization which provides free books to kids in need using young athletes encouraged to “athletes.” 

This organization was started because people noticed that kids not reading well by the 2nd grade would have “trouble ahead.” 

The book “Hog Mollies” indirectly teaches kids about life lessons through the perspective of cartoon animals. 

According to the 2nd and 7 organization, their “volunteer role models encourage 2nd graders to try their best in school, do their homework, respect their teachers and classmates and read every night.”

One of the Wayne Hills Captains who attended the 2nd and 7 programs at A.P.T was senior Angel Casaleggio captain of skiing. “I loved being able to share my love for sports with the 2nd graders and I thought it was very beneficial to know how important grades are to play sports in high school,” she said. 

Captains read the story and did an activity with the students that were at the back of the book that asked the second graders questions that pertained to helping people around them and being responsible for doing homework and other important tasks. The second graders were then given the opportunity to ask the winter sports captains questions about senior year in high school, which they would be in another 10 years.

Overall, the second graders were able to get an insight into their future as high schoolers and potentially as future captains of a sports team that requires leadership and responsibility. They know that in order for that to be a possibility they need to maintain and instill habits in their everyday lives that will set them up for a successful future.