Duke Football Connects With Durham Charter School

by John Roth, Blue Devil Weekly

For the students and staff at Carter Community School in Durham, their relationship with the Duke football team is all about connections.

Over the last two years, the Blue Devil program has gotten closely involved with the charter school through coach Ted Roof's outreach program, In Kids' Defense. Contributions and corporate support of In Kids' Defense enabled the Devils to provide a $15,000 computer lab for the school.

But just as valuable has been the team's personal interaction with the school, which has 145 students and 25 faculty members covering grades K-8

“We started last year with some introductory activities but over the year the coaches and players wanted to get more involved with Carter and really help us toward meeting our academic goals, which they've done by providing the computers and support,” principal Gail Taylor said.

“They've worked as mentors. They came over last year and worked with the students and are doing so again this year. For us and for our students it means they are now connected with the team and with the university, so it doesn't seem like some far-off institution. It brings the university into the school, so there is a realization for the students that this is something I can obtain as a young person if I continue to work.

“For us it's not only resources in terms of supplies and materials but that human connection, that partnership. That is what we want to continue to develop, and we rely on the team members to help us with that.”

Roof and five players visited the school on Club Blvd. last week to check out the computer lab and meet with several middle school students who have been identified as Carter leaders.

“It's really good to be here to meet the leaders of this school, to meet the people that are not only going to make a difference in their school but are going to do the right things and have opportunities to do great things for yourselves,” Roof told the dozen or so students gathered in the computer lab.

“What a bright future we've all got, right? It seems like a long time until you'll look like these guys, doesn't it? But you know what, it's going to happen like that. It's going to happen really quick. I would just encourage you guys and ladies as the leaders of this school to make sure that as you are growing and doing things that we're making good decisions.”

Duke players Phillip Alexander, Casey Camero, Charles Robinson, Demetrius Warrick and Alfred Williams talked to the kids about their typical day in college, worked with them on the computers and answered questions.

Recurring themes in the players' comments included the importance of time management, setting priorities and making good decisions.

“I feel like because we've been in the same seats they're sitting in now and we've been through what they'll go through in the future, that we can come back and share our experiences and tell them every day is a new day with new opportunity,” Camero said. “If you wake up with an ?I can' attitude you can be successful and accomplish a lot of things.”

“It's very important to make the right choices,” added Robinson. “It's also about who you surround yourself with. If you surround yourself with people who are not making the right choices, it's hard for you to make the right choices. So I would say to surround yourself with people who are successful.”

Camero and Robinson recalled athlete role models who took the time to visit them when they were youngsters. Roof, who insists that his players get involved with some sort of community outreach, noted that the players enjoyed the visit because they could see themselves in the students' places just a few years ago. And that goes back to one of the major benefits for the Carter students, according to their principal.

“The more they see these young men succeeding and coming over and being very real with them in their conversations, I think that will make an impact,” she said.

The In Kids' Defense program partners with the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Campaign and Duke Community Affairs to aid in the development of Durham youth. Corporate sponsorship over the past year has come from Durham Coca-Cola, O'Reilly Auto Parts, AdStreet, Ikon Office Solutions, Blue Devil Ventures, The Q Shack, Hilton Durham, SunTrust and the Washington Duke Inn.