Punt, Pass & Read program goes long, long way with students

By CAROL REIF
WEST MILFORD ‑‑ West Milford High School physical education teacher Donald Dougherty and his student athletes truely know what it means to "go long" when it comes to community service.
Six years ago, the head football coach for the Highlanders, set up Punt, Pass & Read, an athletics-academics program.
For two days a year, senior football players visit the township's six elementary schools and read age-appropriate short stories and books to students.
"It sounds simple, but actually it's a big deal," Doughtery said.
Not only do the athletes get to give back to their community, they get to visit their old schools. And the children love meeting local football heroes.
The players sign autographs and answer questions about being on the football team and what it's like to be in high school.
"It's a rewarding experience for them both," the coach added.
After reading to third-graders at the Upper Greenwood Lake Elementary School in Hewitt recently, senior captain AJ Bakunas said he hoped to remove some of the fear factor about high school life.
"My main goal is that we don't seem so scary to the little kids, that we come across as cool and nice, and that they will come out an enjoy a game with us," Bakunas said.
Teammate Anthony Derin, who read to second-graders, echoed those sentiments, saying: "I think it's cool that the little kids see us coming from the high school to read to them because reading is good, and so they don't think high school is a scary place.
Tristan Bakalian got to catch up with his former teacher, Heather Terry-Egli.
"I sat in the first row in this very classroom," Bakalian said. "It was fun reading to the first-graders and they had fun hanging with the football team seeing we are people just like them."
Punt, Pass & Read was among six of West Milford High School athletics programs nominated in the 2016-17 school year, for a Promising Practices in Character Education award sponsored by Character.org, a national organization that promotes integrity, honesty and respect in education.
According to Joe Trentacosta, the high school's athletic director, while Punt, Pass & Read was not one of the three winners, it is "definitely back in the (nomination) pool this year."
Punt, Pass & Read's success has inspired the district to expand its outreach programs, Trentacosta said, adding that the girls' field hockey team recently visited elementary schools where players introduced students to the sport. They even brought their trophy along.
The program "spreads Highlander pride throughout the school district and promotes the high school, so student athletes want to come here more," Trentacosta added.