My classroom, on the main hallway between 6th grade and the science wing, is far removed from the gyms and practice fields, so running into Coach is a fairly rare occurrence.
But this time he came looking for me. To tell me about "my boy."
In this case, "my boy" is Edgar, a bright and personable 7th-grader with a golden throwing arm, a killer instinct for directing plays--and the English reading level this past August of a first -grader.
Every year, our school enrolls about eight to a dozen kids who are new to the country and who have very little schooling in English. Texas terms these kids "Newcomers" and grants them a year in an accelerated English program where we coach them to enough foundational language skills to succeed in Texas classrooms.
Texas tests all new arrivals with a home language other than English. That explains why Edgar and his mom, little sisters in tow, were in my classroom around the beginning of August. The testing went pretty quickly-it is a simple task to total up enough "No responses" on the examination form to determine that the current level is "Beginner." Within about 45 minutes I had identified him as a Newcomer, explained his class schedule, given the family a tour of the campus, and walked them out to the exit double doors.
That was when Edgar spoke his first words outside of the terse test responses.
"I...play...football..."
Of course I knew that football was futbol. Kid's from Mexico, right?
I took Spanish in high school a looooong time ago, but I still remember some of my nouns, a few verbs, colors and numbers and months. Plus the seasons of the year. So I told him "futbol.. primavera" because futbol/soccer is a spring sport in Texas.
Enunciating very carefully, he repeated "play... quarterback...American football" then, to make himself clearer--"NFL..Kansas City." Then to cap it all off, "Mahomes." Because, of course, a famous NFL MVP quarterback transcends nationality and language.
Football practice, a grueling 100-degree skills and conditioning camp, had just started that week. Engaging in extracurriculars just like American kids is a great way to make new arrivals belong to the school community--and to learn more English--so I asked them to wait and hastened to the gym to find Coach.
When I found Coach and let him know I had a possible quarterback in the lobby, he came up to meet them. After shaking hands all around, he surprised me by beckoning the entire family to follow him back to the gym. The next five minutes were an informal evaluation of the boy's skills--throwing arm, ability to hustle when rushed, knowledge of pass patterns--at the end of which he procured a sign-up packet along with instructions for the doctor's clearance and the daily hours of practice.
Along with an exhortation--"Ya gotta learn English to be quarterback."
So that was August.
At McMeans, any kid wanting to play football gets to play. New to the system and untested on the field, Edgar began on the "C" team. As quarterback.
Over the past couple of months, he has applied himself both on the field and in class. It helps that he is a smart kid with a great work ethic. He is a solid B student-except for science and choir and PE, where he makes As. In my class, he is a fearless student, the type who is unafraid to read aloud in front of others. My experience has led me to believe that those who put in the work and who engage with the material always succeed. He's already a success, and destined to do well in the future due to his work ethic.
And succeed he has. From writing and reading on a first-grade level, he has progressed to about a third-grade level already. In just a bit less than 3 months. At this rate, he will push to a 6th grade level by the end of the year. That will put him at only a couple of years below his actual grade next year, which will be a phenomenal gain for someone who struggled with asking to borrow a pencil when he arrived.
During the daily announcements, I heard that he was named the player of the game a couple of weeks ago, and the class erupted in cheers. These kids take each other's success seriously.
A few days after that, Coach let me know as we passed in the halls that Edgar was moving from "C" team to "B" team.
This past week, Coach came to find me-to let me know that we have a new 7th grade "A" team quarterback.
He listed off the reasons-Edgar has talent. He can take a hit. He plays to his ability.
And he has learned English. Enough to talk with Coach in the morning at practice. Does he know the difference between "can" and "may"? Oh, no, but that is not what functional language seeks of him right now. He can communicate with peers and coaches and teachers while he gets to the next level.
And football--sports--the team--and Coach have given him reason to succeed in all of these. That is why I was so glad to receive this news, and why my response was
"Our boy is having a great year."
Because he is. Having a great year.
And our boy.
