BEVERLY, Mass.- On Friday, December 14, the Endicott men’s and women’s rugby teams and one of their coaches, Justin McIntyre, made the trip to Centerville Elementary School to work the school’s “Kid’s Night.” In the wake of Friday’s tragedy in Connecticut, the event took on a special meaning that was appreciated by all who participated. Kid’s Night is a night in which the school hosts their students for pizza, games, dancing and fun from roughly six to nine o’clock at night. The event is always a fun time but this year it held extra meaning.
“It was a great experience for the team and the students, especially with the devastating news of what had happened in Connecticut earlier in the day,” said Coach McIntyre. “In fact, I was told by multiple players on the rugby team how meaningful the opportunity was after the news we had seen all day. You could tell that the kids genuinely enjoyed having our players around and for the parents and teachers, it was a great escape that helped get their minds off of everything.”
The rugby players helped serve pizza and drinks and then supervised/participated in the games and activities. Activities included basketball, arts and crafts, dancing, soccer and more. Andrea Jones, one of the organizers of Kid’s Night, told McIntyre, “Your players were amazing. We could not have done it without them. Thank you so much.”
“There was no doubt in my mind that Kid’s Night was going to be a special event. With Friday being what it was, you really saw the event evolve into something really meaningful for my teams,” said McIntyre. “The men and women all had heavy hearts heading into the event and it wound up providing an escape from reality for a short time. In the end, I don’t know who got more out of it, the Centerville students or my teams.” With finals week upon us, both teams have wrapped up practice for the semester and are looking forward to getting back out on the field in the spring.
