Through a collaborative effort among Chelsea Public Schools, Chelsea Recreation & Cultural Affairs and Friends of the Heights, the Chelsea High School Football team participated in a clinic on Monday, November 25, led by Boston College Football student-athletes.
The CHS students competed in drills focused on skill development and were able to speak to the BC Eagles about their experiences as college athletes. The BC student-athletes traveled to Chelsea for the clinic, which ran in CHS’ Blue Gymnasium.
“It means a lot. Especially coming from a small city like Chelsea which faces a lot of adversity daily. Being given opportunities like these and being able to be taught by guys at the next level and around our area is an opportunity that we should take advantage of and be very grateful for. It allows us players to have faith in our future even though we face challenges and adversity, it allows us to stay focused and on a great path in life,” commented Chelsea senior Jhostin Salmeron. “Our players were moved by these players and right after we all started applying the skills we were taught in our practice and it gave us energy to fuel us during our last padded practice. It also added some hope to play college football one day.”
CHS Head Coach David Roque added, “Having the BC athletes come by to work with our kids was great. They really enjoyed being coached by D1 players and learning some new techniques to use on game day; the competition portion of the clinic was especially exciting for our guys. Overall it brought a new level of excitement and love for the game after speaking and getting to know the BC athletes a little better. It has sparked more interest from other students in the school not on the team to join next season which is great for the growth of our program.”
Attendees from BC included the team’s leading receiver Lewis Bond, the ACC’s leader in sacks Donovan Ezeiruaku, All-ACC offensive lineman Ozzy Trapilo and more. The Eagles visited CHS for the clinic through the support of “Friends of the Heights”, the NIL collective that serves Boston College student-athletes.
“Partnerships are everything, and we’re incredibly grateful to Friends of the Heights for collaborating with us to bring Boston College student-athletes to CHS to connect with our football team. It was an unforgettable experience for our kids and a testament to the power of community,” said Charles Giuffrida, the City of Chelsea’s Director, Athletic Infrastructure & Sports Tourism.
This clinic was an example of the collaborative effort between the City’s Recreation Department and Chelsea Public Schools. Through opportunities like this that include experiential learning, the departments are working together to grow athletic participation for Chelsea youth and introduce kids to new sports.
Giuffrida added, “Events like these are just the beginning of what’s possible when we work together to invest in our youth.”