Plouffe Academy volleyball player joins opposing team to ensure all can compete
Submitted by: Andrew MacLeay
My name is Jim Hatch and I am currently entering my second season coaching Unified Sports within the Brockton School Department. I was pleased to read your email and I would like to nominate a 7th grader from the Plouffe Academy for the “Most Responsible Sports Moment” contest.
Last May I began coaching the Plouffe Academy Unified Volleyball team, which worked closely with it’s sister program, a team from West Middle School. While the Plouffe was fortunate to have more than enough interested and dedicated players, West struggled to meet the required number of athletes and model students. Heading into the State Tournament the Plouffe team was carrying 13 eligible players, one more than the roster limit, meaning one would need to be chosen to be left behind. All of the kids had worked so hard to prepare for the weekend experience, it would have broken my heart to see one of them miss out on what proved to be a great time for all.
Working with fellow program coordinators Sally Morrill and Jim Dinitto, we agreed that we would ask one of our players if they would be willing to play for the West team, allowing for everyone to participate and give the other squad an opportunity to compete. The student we had all agreed to ask was Cesar Romero. Cesar is always polite, very outgoing, dedicated, and always tries his hardest to accomplish his goals. Fortunately for both programs, Cesar was hesitant at first, but soon agreed help.
Joining an opposing team proved to be a selfless act on Cesar’s part. While we pride our programs on the character of our athletes, kids are naturally competitive and viewed the opposing school as a rival rather than as an ally and I feared a feeling of rejection may be possible when you have to trade a player to another team. When Cesar joined the team he once competed against, he soon became friendly with the kids from the West Wolverines and was able to accomplish what we coaches could not. Cesar served as a median, the bridge linking the two teams, and had led the players from both teams to a weekend experience that they will remember for the rest of their lives.
When the Plouffe team was eliminated from gold medal contention, Cesar served as a key player helping West achieve it’s gold medal. Both teams were thrilled, West for winning and Plouffe for Cesar’s success. While the kids were happy, the coaches were proud. Without the sacrifices Cesar had made, none of the experiences would have been possible. Cesar’s cooperation led to the success and continuation of our program in Brockton, as well as proved that our athletes can make a difference in their community. It is for those reasons that I nominate Cesar Romero for the Most Memorable Sports Moment award. Even if Cesar does not reach the top 10 in the contest, he will certainly be my number one for some time to come.
