Odenton Elementary Uses Football to Motivate Readers

Odenton Elementary School Principal Tracey Ahern has put the strength of her right leg on the line as part of a creative plan to encourage reading at the school.

Ahern has promised to try and kick a field goal during halftime of the Arundel High homecoming football game on Oct. 21 if her students spent 100,000 minutes reading over the next month.

Ahern made the promise during a spirited assembly last Friday, in which members of the Arundel High football team spoke about the importance of reading and education.

“Whether you like it or not, reading can get you a really long way,” said senior wide receiver Carmy Geathers. “It’s all about getting an education and doing better for yourself.”

Odenton Elementary reading specialist Kim Cahill has asked students in grades kindergarten trough second grade to read 15 minutes every night, with students in grades 3 through 5 encouraged to read 20 minutes a night. During the assembly, she offered examples of football players who graduated from college, including Rhodes Scholar and Tennessee Titans player Myron Rolle, and Baltimore Ravens Ray Rice and Joe Flacco.

“They all knew that education was the key to their success, and they knew that to be successful in life, they had to be good readers,” she said.

Ahern, the daughter of a football coach, said she will reluctantly keep her promise to attempt the field goal, and expressed confidence that the students will come through.

“They’ll do it,” she said. “I just need to go stretch my hamstring.”