To play high school football takes dedication: long hours spent playing games, conditioning in the gym, and going over strategies as a team. But the work doesn’t end on the football field. All year round, E. C. Glass and Heritage high school football players can be found volunteering in the community. They’ve been known to help construct homes for Habitat for Humanity or lend a helping hand at an elementary school family engagement event, always with smiles on their faces.
Volunteering isn’t compulsory; rather, it’s a genuine display of care for the community, born out of a culture of service woven into Lynchburg City Schools (LCS) football programs. Just as their passion for football motivates student-athletes to put in long hours at practice, their love for the community compels them to serve.
“Community service helps the players understand we’re here for the community first and foremost. It gives them a chance to give back in a positive way,” said Heritage High head football coach Brad Bradley. “It’s important for players to not only be great athletes and students, but also to have good character and act selflessly.”
Uplifting the Next Generation
Student-athletes from both high schools work with younger LCS students frequently, giving back to the communities that raised them. For E. C. Glass 12th grader Kaleb Brehm, volunteering at elementary and middle schools has been an essential component of the high school football experience. He and his teammates help facilitate elementary school field days and football day camps, share about their experiences as football student-athletes to classrooms full of students, and mentor students at Linkhorne Middle.
“Helping others is a great thing, and everybody should do it. It brings light to everybody,” Brehm said. “My favorite volunteer opportunity has been helping Paul Munro out with field day and seeing kids running around and having fun.”
Many of Brehm’s classmates, including E. C. Glass 12th grader Kymani Mosby, attended Paul Munro Elementary School. Returning to serve current students, many of whom see the players as role models, is a fulfilling experience.
“We had players do the same thing for us when we were in elementary school. Seeing high school football players helping out at my school events and football camps back then motivated me to play someday. Seeing kids’ faces today and knowing they see me as a role model is inspiring,” Mosby said.
E. C. Glass football players helped build a new playground at W. M. Bass Elementary School in 2023.
Coaches often try to pair students with service opportunities at the elementary schools they used to attend, making volunteer experiences all the more meaningful. For years, Heritage High has helped put on field days and family fun nights at Sandusky Elementary School, where many of the players started their grade-school careers.
“Many of the students on the Heritage football team are ones I taught in elementary school. It’s nice to see them go from elementary schoolers to high schoolers serving their community and telling you about their aspirations and dreams after high school,” said Sandusky Elementary teacher Melissa Smith, who organizes these events.
Student-athletes lend their sports expertise to events like Smith’s field days, running activity-based stations for students and their family members while answering students’ questions about high school football. Sandusky Elementary students buzz with energy around the players, eager to get to know them.
“The kids gravitate to them. They always ask, ‘when are the football players coming?’ The players act as mentors to the elementary students while they’re here,” Smith said.
According to E. C. Glass head football coach Jamar Lovelace, spending time with younger students helps the high schoolers learn responsibility and understand their impact on the community. With so many children looking to the players as role models, Lovelace and Bradley hold high standards for them on and off the football field. Community service is an opportunity for players to grow personally while modeling positive behaviors for younger students.
“It keeps things in perspective. The players understand that whether they win or lose, the way they carry themselves makes an impact. As a high school football player, middle and elementary school eyes are on you, and you need to understand the impact you have on the community,” Lovelace said.
Every year, Heritage High football players welcome Perrymont Elementary School students to school with high-fives and words of encouragement in celebration of Unity Day.
United for Good
Some of these volunteer engagements give the E. C. Glass and Heritage high school teams opportunities to work together. In July, for example, the two schools jointly hosted a free one-day youth football camp that served more than 50 students between the ages of five and 13.
“Working together shows the mutual respect we have for each other. Even though we’re competitors, we have a common goal to support our community,” Lovelace said.
Volunteer opportunities help strengthen relationships between the two teams. They also foster camaraderie within each team, deepening teammates’ friendships and helping them work together better on the football field.
“Community service is good for team bonding because we interact more with each other,” said Heritage High 11th grader Zaid Holloway. “We get a chance to help other people who are doing what they love and serving their communities.”
While community organizations and schools benefit from the student-athletes’ hard work, the players reap the rewards of team bonding and personal growth that come along with volunteering. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship enjoyed by all parties involved. The players are eager to take opportunities to serve, especially those who have experienced the benefits of community service firsthand.
“The guys jump at opportunities to serve. If I have 10 spots for an opportunity, I’ll usually have to turn down five players who volunteer to help,” Bradley said.
Paying it Forward
In addition to serving schools across the division, both teams volunteer with local organizations, like Habitat for Humanity, the Academy Center for the Arts, and various churches. Bradley and his team often help elderly community members who need help with more physically challenging cleaning, moving, and yard work.
When a tornado devastated parts of Lynchburg in 2018, Bradley and his team were quick to offer aid. They helped clean up debris and fallen trees in its aftermath, helping local families whose homes and businesses had been destroyed in the storm. Though they expected nothing in return, community members jumped at the opportunity to show the team appreciation for their service.
“When we won the state championship in 2018, we raised money for rings. This was right after we’d helped with cleanup efforts after the tornado hit. The community responded with an outpouring of support. Much of the money we raised was from people whose property we’d helped clean up,” Bradley said. “When we pay it forward, we get support from the community in return.”
This culture of mutual support and appreciation between the football teams and the community is apparent at every Friday night game. The student-athletes pour into local organizations and youth, and in return, the community fills the stands and cheers them on. Equipped with life lessons and team bonds from community service, players enter the field ready to play with intention.
Heritage High football players mingled with LAUREL Regional Program students at their football-themed prom in March.
See the 2024 Jug Bowl
Come join the community of Lynchburg residents rallying behind our high school football teams by supporting them at the 2024 Jug Bowl. Heritage and E. C. Glass high schools will face off in their annual varsity football game this Friday. Nov. 1 at 7 p.m at Lynchburg City Stadium. Learn more here.