Monday, December 2, 2024
Elementary school students from throughout the North Bellmore School District showed off their football skills in a friendly faceoff at Saw Mill Road Elementary during the annual action-packed punt, pass and kick competition on Oct. 22.
For nearly 20 years, the district has been running the competition for all five of its elementary schools, according to Bill Green, a gym teacher at Park Elementary School, and Jim Mulvey, who teaches physical education at Dinkelmeyer Elementary School.
The competition is a football-based event, where participants demonstrate their skills in three categories. During the punt portion, competitors kick the football from their hands, aiming for distance and accuracy. In the pass event, participants throw the football as far at they can, while maintaining accuracy, and in the kick portion, competitors place the football on a tee, and kick it for distance and accuracy.
North Bellmore’s competition previously was open to third, fourth and fifth-grade students, but this year, students from the fourth through sixth grades participated.
The NFL used to sponsor the contest in North Bellmore and other districts, with the students showing the most skills moving through different levels of the overall competition for a chance to reach the finals, which were held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Even though the NFL no longer partners with the district, the event was so well loved and anticipated by teachers and students that the district decided to keep the tradition alive.
Students practice their football skills in their gym classes throughout September, and two boys and two girls from each school, in each grade, make the finals, held at Saw Mill Road in October. A pair from each grade, from each school, advances.
“It’s like a badge of honor for the kids who make it, because this is like the elite,” Green said. “There’s only two boys and two girls in grades four, five and six — it’s kind of like a big deal to make it.”
“They do well with it, and they enjoy it,” Mulvey said. “That’s why we kept it going. And that district’s really nice — they give out trophies and medals. And we work on improvement — you don’t have to be the best. All kids get to try in class.”
After students take part in each portion of the competition, scores are tallied and an overall winner — a boy and girl from each grade — is announced. Students are also recognized depending on how they place in each category of the competition.
Because third-graders previously took part in the event, some of the students at the recent finals had been part of the last four punt, pass and kick competitions, including Abigail Giordano, a sixth-grade student at Park Avenue, and Lilliana Addeo, a sixth-grader at Dinkelmeyer.
Abigail plays softball, soccer, basketball and volleyball, while Lilliana plays soccer and competes in track-and-field.
“It’s very cool to be here,” Lilliana said. “The environment is so fun, and it’s like a great experience because when you’re going to be older, there’s going to be opportunities like this.”
“I feel like it’s a wonderful experience,” Abigail added, “and almost like a boost of confidence, in a sense, because you’re just trying your best and representing your school.”
Many district administrators stopped by the competition, including Marie Testa, the superintendent of schools, and Janet Pollitt, the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.
Since North Bellmore is a kindergarten through sixth-grade school district, it’s not often that the entire district can come together for a sporting event, such as punt, pass and kick, Pollitt said.
“It’s just a wonderful tradition that we’ve had for years,” she said. “It’s really been like the hallmark of our physical education — just a great opportunity for kids to meet in a friendly competition, and they have a shared experience that’s district-wide.”
“I’m so proud of events such as this,” Testa said, “because as a district, in the different departments, we really strive to plan events that bring our children together from all the different schools. We have been really focused on continuing this program in physical education because it gives children an opportunity to show their skills — punting, kicking and throwing — and everyone can do that.”
