MANSFIELD — Vincent Hess’ shout echoed through the cafeteria.
“Oorah!” Hess called, deploying a call from his days in the Marine Corps.
The boisterous chatter lulled. Students lined up to head to the gymnasium at Malabar Intermediate school.
Malabar has several sports teams this year as part of its state-funded Open Doors Academy after-school program. Students spend the first 30 minutes doing homework, then head to practice.
Hess, who works on the school security team, serves as one of the basketball coaches.
“We’re trying to give the kids extra incentive to want to do well in school, keep their grades up,” he said. “Good character skills, that’s my biggest thing.”
The program began three years ago with basketball. This year, there are five teams of boys and girls in third through sixth grades that play against peer teams from the Mansfield YMCA’s recreational league.
This year, the school is offering swimming and track as well.
Swim coach Jennifer “Jeep” Plaisted said only one of her 17 athletes has previous experience on an organized swim team.
With some guidance from Plaisted and members of the high school swim team, they’ve made strides.
“They came in swimming with their head up, kind of doggy paddling,” Plaisted said.
“I’ve definitely seen them improve in their swimming technique, where they’re able to actually do the freestyle in a correct manner.”
But stronger strokes haven’t been the only benefit.
“I’ve also seen a lot of growth in their ability to listen,” she said. “The first time they were in, they were doing flips and jumping around, splashing.
“That discipline to listen and then to try — it’s been hard for some of them to be able to keep their face in the water and do those things, but they’ve been persevering through it and getting it done.”
Coaches said they hope the program gets students interested in sports early, creating a pipeline of athletes for the junior high and high school programs.
Hess said a few of the Malabar kids he coached are now playing for Mansfield Middle School.
“Their parents are still contacting me to let me know they appreciate what I’ve done for their kids, they send me grade cards of them having straight A’s,” Hess said. “They’re having better character; they’re knowing what they need to do to stay on a team.”
Monica Ellis, who coaches both the Malabar and Middle School basketball teams, said she’s seeing progress as well.
“Right now, (my fellow coach) and I have 24 girls in the junior high, so our program is working,” she said.
Malabar Principal Tom Hager said he hopes to offer a sports team option in the spring as well, if the school can find a coach.
“You have to have good coaches, good people, to build that character,” he said. “It’s not about wins or losses. It’s about building character, about building young women and young men and teaching them the discipline of being part of a team.”
