Shelby Cassesse tells the story of Pittsburgh-Allegheny K-5’s recess football league, which is providing students a structured, competitive option for recess throughout the school year.
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Pittsburgh public school’s recess football league
It's the end of the school year at Pittsburgh-Allegheny K-5. Text books are stacked high, desks pushed against the wall, hallways plain once again - all but one hallway still covered in posterboard and photos floor to ceiling.
“It represents kids from the past, kids from the present, right now,” said Brice Flenory. “Kids who have worked hard and achieved, not only on the field but in the classroom.”
The hallway is permanently the Recess Football Hall of Fame, honoring the best and brightest of the school's iconic Recess Football league. Flenory, a project manager for the school, started the league almost a decade ago. He believes it's the only one of its kind in the country.
“It was just something that kind of picked up during recess,” he said. “It went from playing football on the field, to making it a structured recess football program.”
Sign-ups start on the second day of school. Dozens of boys and girls second to fifth grade race to sign up.
This isn't all fun and games, it's a commitment. Games are played rain or shine, indoors and outside, every single day at recess from the third day of school through the end of the year. A lesson in showing up and fulfilling responsibilities.
“One day, you will have a real job, you will have to report to work, you will have a duty and a boss,” Flenory said. “These are the tools that I want to put into them now, at a young age, so they can take t with them through high school and then as an adult.”
The competition consumes more than just the players. Kindergartners and first graders, too young to play, peer through fences at the field just to get a glimpse. Cheerleaders line the sidelines; kids who may not want to play find roles as broadcasters or team managers.
All part of what Brice calls: The Nation.
“Just kids with a sense of belonging, knowing that they’re part of a family,” he said.
Brice is the league's permanent quarterback, referee and stat keeper. His meticulously kept stats hang in the hall of fame all year long, tallying up each player's touchdowns, interceptions and forced fumbles. At the end of each season, the stand outs, including contributors, get invited to have a permanent place in league history.
This year's class was inducted June 9th. Among them third grader Khyree.
“It means a lot to me,” he saiid. “When I go to high school, people will see my picture. They’ll remember me.”
While Khyree walks away with a place on the wall, his mother, Shamel Haden, says what's most valuable are the lessons and skills learned along the way.
“It’s the sportsmanship, the togetherness, that he loves,” she said.
It's not often you hear of people with deep connections to their elementary school - but the Recess Football league creates a tight bond.
No more evident than speaking with Kareem Harp and Jason Arguetta at this year's induction. They're now 10th graders and two of the league's original members.
“It’s showed me a lot of leadership,” Arguetta said. “Everybody started looking up to me. It gave me a lot of leadership.”
“It’s good to see that it’s still a big thing, and that it’s getting bigger every year,” Harp said. “Just to see all the new kids that are breaking our records, it’s cool.”
What started as a way to give kids a structured option for recess, has turned into a legacy and, for Brice, family that continues to grow.
“Once you play recess football, and no matter where you go off to high school, you’ll always be family here,” Flenory said. “Always. No matter what.”