Launch of the inaugural Los Alamitos “Griffriends” event that paired members of the Los Al Football team with students with special needs in grades K-12 in several friendly softball games took place last Friday.
Launch of the inaugural Los Alamitos “Griffriends” event that paired members of the Los Al Football team with students with special needs in grades K-12 in several friendly softball games took place last Friday.
Participants enjoyed themselves as they batted, advanced the bases, threw the ball, and cheered their teammates. The football players assisted their partners by cheering and supporting through the various phases of the game. One varsity football player said, “This has been one of the best things I’ve experienced at Los Al. I love these kids and seeing them have fun.”
Each participant received a custom designed Griffriends T-shirt and a new Los Al friend for life. The softball games concluded with a lunch for all participants and a chance to share favorite parts of the day.
The event was the brainchild of Head Football Coach, Ray Fenton, who, in addition to striving for excellence at football, instills the qualities of high character through opportunities like this one. Coach Fenton said, “I am very passionate about providing a fun and positive experience for our students and athletes.”
Griffriends was a huge success and generated a lot of support from the school community. Several Los Alamitos families, staff, administrators, and district personnel, participated and cheered the students.
