Friday marks the beginning of the high school football postseason in Ohio.The Mount Healthy Fighting Owls are set to take on Western Brown at 7 p.m. in round one of the 2022 OHSAA High School Football Playoffs. The Owls' new head coach, Jordan Stevens, started a new tradition off the field that's scoring big with students and staff. Stevens calls the initiative "My Jersey, Your Impact." Every week, several football players are chosen to gift their alternative jersey to a staff member or teacher that they feel has made a personal impact on their lives. "Everyone needed to see the village around them and that's both players and for staff," Stevens said. "They need to see that they are worth more than just coming here and putting a book out. They've done a lot for these kids. And there's no way that I could do it by myself."On Friday, ahead of the team's playoff game, LaDon Smith gifted his jersey to assistant principal Amy Criswell."I chose her because she always gave me you know, make sure I'm all right," Smith said. "She's always there for me like a mother figure when my mother's not here. She's there for me.""I mean, it means a lot to me," Criswell said. "I put my heart and soul into Mount Healthy. I'm an alumni of Mount Healthy. So graduated from here so I put everything back into the kids just because I know that they are going to do such great things in the future."Week after week, players have gifted their jerseys to staff members. Staff members are then asked to return them that night at the game which has led to a boost in staff attendance at football games. The goal though is bigger than football, Stevens said."I was a young Black football player," Stevens said. "And I want to make sure that these kids understand that yeah, football may drive us but it's simply a vehicle to where we need to go. That's all it is, is it's taking us to a better place."Stevens plans to keep "My Jersey, Your Impact" going for years to come.
Friday marks the beginning of the high school football postseason in Ohio.
The Mount Healthy Fighting Owls are set to take on Western Brown at 7 p.m. in round one of the 2022 OHSAA High School Football Playoffs.
The Owls' new head coach, Jordan Stevens, started a new tradition off the field that's scoring big with students and staff. Stevens calls the initiative "My Jersey, Your Impact." Every week, several football players are chosen to gift their alternative jersey to a staff member or teacher that they feel has made a personal impact on their lives.
"Everyone needed to see the village around them and that's both players and for staff," Stevens said. "They need to see that they are worth more than just coming here and putting a book out. They've done a lot for these kids. And there's no way that I could do it by myself."
On Friday, ahead of the team's playoff game, LaDon Smith gifted his jersey to assistant principal Amy Criswell.
"I chose her because she always gave me you know, make sure I'm all right," Smith said. "She's always there for me like a mother figure when my mother's not here. She's there for me."
"I mean, it means a lot to me," Criswell said. "I put my heart and soul into Mount Healthy. I'm an alumni of Mount Healthy. So graduated from here so I put everything back into the kids just because I know that they are going to do such great things in the future."
Week after week, players have gifted their jerseys to staff members. Staff members are then asked to return them that night at the game which has led to a boost in staff attendance at football games. The goal though is bigger than football, Stevens said.
"I was a young Black football player," Stevens said. "And I want to make sure that these kids understand that yeah, football may drive us but it's simply a vehicle to where we need to go. That's all it is, is it's taking us to a better place."
Stevens plans to keep "My Jersey, Your Impact" going for years to come.
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