'Too-Tall Foyle' Speaks to Livermore Elementary Students

LIVERMORE, CA - From Livermore United School District: The average height of Marylin Avenue Elementary spiked for a couple hours on Thursdaymorning when retired NBA player Adonal Foyle stopped by to read his Too-Tall Foyle picture books for a K-5 assembly. Over 400 students, not to mention some star-struck staff, gladly craned their necks to greet and hear from the 6’10” former Golden State Warrior.

“It’s fantastic to observe Adonal give back to communities, especially children,” said Chris Wenzel, a member of the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees, who coordinated with Foyle for the event. “His books contribute to a child’s development, and spending his time and energy at schools making children laugh is wonderful.”

The two books, Too-Tall Foyle Finds His Game and Too-Tall Foyle Makes the Team, detail his early years growing up on Canouan Island in the south-eastern Caribbean, his discovery of basketball, and how it connected him to his community. The books’ colorful illustrations paired with Foyle’s spirited reading and expressive movement made for an engaging experience that captivated his young audience.

“I love the interaction with the kids during our school visits,” said Foyle. “It’s inspiring and encouraging to see their smiling faces.” Happily posing for pictures after the event, his enthusiasm for the young community was clear. After the readings, moving expertly through swaths of students, he asked questions about his books to exercise his listeners’ comprehension skills, and passed prizes into the arms of those who could recall the facts and lessons from his stories.

Foyle’s books focus on acceptance and empathy for those who may seem different or have yet to find their place in the world. Foyle said, “I can use sports as a way to help young people find a path in life.” Connecting his stature and love of basketball to everyday life, both books contain an encouraging message for young readers to recognize their personal strengths and to learn how they can put those unique strengths to use for themselves and their community.

“Through sharing his story, Adonal Foyle showed our students that everyone is good at something,” said Denise Nathanson, principal of Marylin Avenue School. “You just need to keep looking, and once you find it, practice, practice, practice.” Students left the assembly, some toting well-earned shirts or basketballs, inspired by the message from the man “as tall as a palm tree.”

ABOUT LIVERMORE VALLEY JOINT UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

LVJUSD is an award-winning district that serves more than 13,600 students in transitional kindergarten through 12th grade at nine elementary campuses, two K-8 schools, three middle schools, two comprehensive high schools, and two alternative schools. The LVJUSD features International Baccalaureate Programmes and a STEM pathway, TK-12. The mission of the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District is to ensure each student will graduate with the skills needed to contribute and thrive in a changing world. For more information about the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District please visit www.livermoreschools.com

Image via Pixabay