High school volunteers from UI’s Student Board helped out at this year’s Fall Big Kid Recess with WTP teams Lawndale and Lloyd. Brady Reichert, UI Student Board Executive Committee member and Junior at Loyola Academy, shares some highlights from the day, and that you’re never too old to learn and play!
Big Kid Recess made for a perfect Saturday of learning and play in the Urban Initiatives community! Fun was in full force on October 14, 2017, when members from our Urban Initiatives High School Board joined with two UI teams from the Lawndale and Lloyd schools for games and lunch at Lloyd Elementary School. In friendly competition, we played Protect the President, along with some very strategic sack races, funny hula hoop races, popular twister and other fun recess games. Our high school students enjoyed all the communication and teamwork with the energetic Urban initiatives students.
Through these games, we worked on communication skills, teamwork, awareness of others and ourselves as we competed for victories. I felt very lucky because some of the students recognized that my name was Brady and instantly associated me with the talented Tom Brady so they wanted to be on my team for the sack races! When I agreed, they began yelling to their friends that they had a “pro” on their team and started working harder. We witnessed how sports and play can influence many of these students.
After the games, we all enjoyed lunch together and laughed about our recess activities. Many of the students wanted to play again soon and didn’t want the event to end.
Us high school students decided that we learn just as much from these great kids as they learn from us about self-awareness and engaging with others. Thank you, Urban Initiatives, for bringing us all together for a fun Big Kid Recess!
-Brady Reichert