![]() “I kind of went from being somebody who mostly cared about myself and my friends to caring about everyone and trying to make everyone’s day and everyone’s life. While Keith experienced the euphoria of scoring a touchdown, his teammates, specifically Justice, learned a deeper lesson. Wide receiver Justice Miller added, “Nothing can really explain getting a touchdown when you’ve never had one before.” When asked why they did this for Keith, the boys provided a mature and heartfelt explanation: “Because we really wanted to prove that he was part of our team and he meant a lot to us,” Jungel said. ![]() “Somebody is always going to have his back, from now until he graduates,” Carrie said. Keith’s mom Carrie told CBS, “It was like, ‘Did he just score a touchdown?’” Despite their surprise, Keith’s parents were touched by the gesture from the team. The plan worked to perfection, and the crowd that had been stunned by the Olivet player intentionally downing the ball at the 1-yard line, slowly began to understand what happened: Keith Orr had scored a touchdown. He’d take the hand-off and run into the end zone for six points. Keith would then come in on a quick substitution and the others would form a wall of protection. If necessary, the preceding ball carrier would take a dive on the 1-yard line to set up the next play. The plan was to get the ball as close to the goal line as possible. Parker then interjected, “But the coaches didn’t know anything about it. “Everyone was in on it,” Nick told CBS News. Nick Jungel and Parker Smith revealed the kids’ plan. They didn’t notify the other team either. The boys kept the idea to themselves, though. His teammates hatched a plan to get him in the end zone to score a touchdown during a game last fall. These kids call their own plays – particularly when it comes to teammate Keith Orr. Their parents and coaches didn’t have to come up with a plan for them. The kids of the Olivet 8 th grade youth football team in Michigan provided an amazing model of sportsmanship that truly came from the heart. But sometimes kids can teach us a thing or two about sportsmanship too. On 10/21, the Olivet varsity football team won their home non-conference game against Gull Lake (Richland, MI) by a score of 40-10. We never know for sure if the young athletes in these situations are gaining valuable lessons or just following orders. As impactful as these moments are, they are often orchestrated by adults. Specifically it was Orr's teammates - not the coaches - who. As we work on creating our plans, we will actively seek input from our coaches and student-athletes to determine how we can maximize our athletic opportunities during the fall to best meet their needs, while maintaining their health and safety.We’ve all seen wonderful moments in youth sports that reward and spotlight a kid who rarely gets to play, or who might not have the ability to play a sport fulltime. At Olivet Middle School in Michigan, the football team worked up a plan to give Keith Orr a chance to score his first touchdown. "We are committed to providing a quality and engaging experience for our fall student-athletes this semester. "While the decision to postpone fall competitions and championships is difficult, the safety of our student-athletes is our primary concern during these times," Albion College Athletic Director Matt Arend told the Enquirer last July. A week later, the MIAA announced it would postpone nearly all fall sports, including football, until the spring. Last summer, in the middle of July, as administrators tried to gauge the temperature surrounding how COVID-19 would affect the sports world, the MIAA first announced it would reduce its fall season and play a league-only schedule. I don't think I ever felt the way I felt last week going into that first game of spring football." All the starting and stopping last summer and in the fall as we were told how the season was going to play out. Remembering how kids were sent home last fall, not knowing if they would get to play again, not knowing when we would see each other again. All the feelings came back at once, I think. "There were a million different emotions. "Guys were fighting back tears as they were getting ready to play that first game back, after all they had been through," Beurer said.
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