With the first year of their York Lions football career now complete, two student-athletes are helping make a difference off the field. York defensive back Justin Kowalewsky and cornerback Ryan Duplessis have launched a program that has seen the Lions reach out to students at CW Jeffreys Collegiate Institute through a series of football practices and information sessions.
The program was initiated and organized by the members of the football team, led by Kowalewsky (Beaumont, Ont.), who is the program’s co-ordinator, and Duplessis (Edmonton), the practice co-ordinator, and it has been well received by the students and staff at the high school.
The sessions run every Wednesday from 3:30pm to 5:30pm until the end of May at CW Jeffreys and involve learning football skills and life skills through interaction with York football players and other guest coaches and speakers. At the end of every practice, there is someone to speak to the students about different things, such as setting and attaining goals.
The goal was to establish a mutually beneficial relationship between York and CW Jeffreys whereby the interactions between the Lions football players and the high school students would enrich the lives of everyone involved.
“I have been blessed with the chance to play football and pursue a higher level of education at the same time, so it was very important to me that I found some way to give back to the community,” said Kowalewsky. “Obviously, seeing the impact we can make in the lives of the people we’re working with is one benefit, but somehow, when a person gives, they end up receiving much more than they could possibly offer. My life has already been enriched in a lasting way and many of the York players that helped out told me their lives were also impacted in some way.”
A number of other members of the team have helped Kowalewsky and Duplessis make the program into a success. Starting quarterback Nick Coutu (St. Catharines, Ont.), academic all-Canadian Patrick Assinck (Peterborough, Ont.), veteran lineman Michael Stewart (Toronto), Spirit Cup winner Tyler de Moel (St. Catharines, Ont.) and fellow teammates Chris Pitman (Toronto), Kyle Cherry (Cambridge, Ont.), Theo Feroiu (Toronto), Cameron Fry (North Bay, Ont.), Patrick Russell (Brampton, Ont.), Will Austin (St. Catharines, Ont.), Zach Thompson (Lynden, Ont.), Anthony Edem (Mississauga, Ont.) and Tyler Fast have all taken time to assist with the program.
[url]http://www.yorkulions.ca/sports/fball/2010-11/releases/04-30_Football_community_project
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