For Strawberry Crest softball players, the last Thursday before Christmas is always special. It’s been that way for almost as long as the school has existed.
Why?
Because it’s the day when one lucky family gets “adopted” by the team, which means it’s getting hooked up with gifts and treated like an extension of the girls’ own families. This year, Crest student Hailey Brady and her father were lucky enough to be adopted.
“Usually, we go for larger families,” head coach Mindy Miltner says. “But Hailey is so sweet.”
SETTING THE EXAMPLE
This story begins in 2010. Miltner wanted to teach her softball players something to benefit them off the field and came up with the idea to have the team help needy families at Christmastime.
“I usually choose a family from the school — someone from one of my classes, or someone I’m close to,” Miltner says. “I’ve always wanted to show the girls that there are less fortunate families out there and people at our school that need help.”
Each girl on the team is responsible for buying a gift. Or, if they’d like to get something expensive, they’re welcome to pool their money together to do so. Either way, the idea is simple: everyone participates in whatever way they can.
Since the Brady family is one of the smaller families that the girls have helped, that means more goodies.
ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDEST
Miltner, also a physical education teacher at Crest, met Brady in her Adaptive P.E. class. Brady, a special needs student in her first year at the school, immediately clicked with the coach.
“She’s a sweetheart — very affectionate, hugs everybody,” Miltner says.
Brady has some trouble speaking, so the team got an idea of what she wanted for Christmas by having her circle items in Walmart and Kmart catalogs. Her father and Miltner corresponded with letters, giving the team an idea of what the family needed.
Even though Brady knew that the team was shopping for her, she was still pleasantly surprised to see what the team did for her on Dec. 17.
The girls set aside a room in the school for Brady and her father, adding little touches of Christmas here and there. Senior first baseman Rebecca Roberts, who just so happened to own a Santa Claus costume, dressed up for the occasion and brought a little tree, as well as some cookies. When Brady was led into the room, she was overjoyed.
“She was so happy,” Miltner says. “When she first walked in the room, she didn’t notice the presents. She just hugged everyone. Once she realized it was for her, she got really excited.”
Brady got quite a haul from the team: shirts, pants, socks, gift cards and toys, plus some gift cards for her father. By all accounts, this year was another success for the Lady Chargers’ initiative.
Perhaps this experience will prompt Miltner and the team to help more small families in the future. Either way, a student-teacher relationship that began with few words has resulted in many things for all parties involved to be thankful for.
“She captured my heart,” Miltner says, “and the girls’ when they met her.”
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.