April 7, 2015
For San José State University football head coach Ron Caragher and quarterback Joe Gray, the conclusion of 2015 spring practice this week is a springboard to more football activities over the weekend when the Spartan Athletics Department hosts its annual free Field Day powered by Kaiser Permanente Saturday, April 11, from 10:00 a.m. to noon.
Children between the ages of 5-to-12 are invited to Spartan Stadium for games, athletics skill development and autographs with San Jose State male and female student-athletes from 10 sports (cross country, men's and women's basketball, football, men's women's soccer, swimming and diving, gymnastics and volleyball), cheerleaders and mascot Sammy The Spartan.
COMMUNITY BENEFITS FROM INTEGRATING ACADEMICS & ATHLETICS
Caragher and Gray, a senior from Los Angeles, have added interests in the 2015 Field Day since they will be uniting with the San Jose State University Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences to host local boys and girls diagnosed with autism during the Field Day.
"It started (in 2008) with my wife, Wendy (Caragher), befriending one of the key leaders of the Autism Tree Project Foundation in San Diego. What we did was a pairing of our team members with a child. We had a field day, a game-day interaction and a Christmas time `Winter Wonderland' activity. I just thought it was beneficial to our players. I also found it very rewarding from the letters parents sent showing their appreciation. We are adding that element to our team here," said the Spartans football coach, who previously was the head coach at the University of San Diego. (Wendy Caragher is in her second season as the San José State women's tennis volunteer assistant coach.)
"We're continuing that this year. (San Jose State professor) Dr. Jean Novak is a recognized expert in her field (speech-language pathology) working with autistic children. It's her passion. We teamed up with Dr. Novak, the students in her program and our players. Prior to the start of Field Day, we will pair up our players with an autistic child and follow it up with Field Day."
Approximately 20 San Jose State undergraduate and graduate students majoring in speech pathology will join the Spartan football players and the projected 30 South Bay families with one or more autistic children in 2015 Field Day activities according to Dr. Novak.
"Integrating sports into language development is critical to communicating and helping children express themselves in a meaningful and functional manner," she said. "Sports are as active as you can get. This is a `win-win' for the children, their families, our students, the university and the community."
"'...I DON'T WANT THEM TO BE LEFT OUT.'" - SJSU QUARTERBACK Joe Gray
This weekend's Field Day marks the start of the third year the San José State football team is teaming up with the Autism Tree Project Foundation, founded in San Diego 12 years ago, for a family mentoring program. Recent studies report autism affects as many as one out of every 50 Americans and services in the U.S. connected to treating autism costs approximately $250-billion annually. Gray, who tied a Mountain West conference passing yardage record in 2014 in his first year as a starter, has first-hand experience dealing with autism. He has a niece who was diagnosed with autism at a very early age.
"(Participating) is a big motivation for me. I love children," said the 6-foot-2, 21-year old communication studies major. "Last year, I didn't sign up in time. Through thick and thin, I want them to know I'm there.
"I want to give them hope. I want to show them their lives are just as good as ours. It's important for them to know they will be a driving factor in the world. I don't want them to be left out."
"When you're 18-to-22, the world can feel like it's all about you. Reaching out and lending a hand can get you out of your own world and see the bigger picture. That's how it can benefit our players," added the San Jose State football coach.
"(Field Day) demonstrates a synergy of all parts of the campus coming to support the community, particularly those families impacted by autism," said Professor Michael Kimbarow, chair of San José State University's department of communicative disorders and sciences.
FIELD DAY CAPS OFF WITH SAN JOSE STATE BASEBALL GAME
Field Day participants should wear comfortable athletic attire. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. and no pre-registration is necessary. Following the Field Day, all boys and girls in attendance are invited to spend the afternoon at the San José State-San Diego State baseball game at nearby San Jose Municipal Stadium for free. First pitch is at 1:00 p.m.
Free parking is available in the University's Park & Ride Lot located on 7th Street between Humboldt Street and Alma Avenue.
Parents, guardians and chaperones with questions on the annual San José State Athletics Field Day powered by Kaiser Permanente, contact Julie Stansberry, the Spartans' Student-Athlete Success Coordinator at Julie.stansberry@sjsu.edu or by calling 408-924-1252.
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