On a cold Saturday morning, fifteen seniors begin dragging themselves into the field house. Each player is weary and drained from the tough loss (0-63) against Everman the night before. But today, they push aside the disappointment. They push aside the intimidation, intensity and force they would normally offer on the field. They push aside the characteristics of a stereotypical football player, so they can bring their gentle and sympathetic ways to the surface.

After the seniors change into their football jerseys and throw back on their letterman jackets because of the nippy climate, they start heading to their cars. Some players ride with Coach Griffin, while others pile into a several different vehicles.

One by one each car starts pulling into the parking lot of Cook Children’s Hospital. Football Coach Nutley steps out of his Nissan along with Coach Melson and pops open the trunk. Lined up in the trunk are mini pumpkins, painting supplies, crayons and coloring pages.

“Guys, get your pumpkins!” Coach Melson calls out to the players as they each start picking their own pumpkins and materials.

Everyone starts walking up to the hospital meanwhile, chatting about the game against Everman and tossing around their pumpkins.

“This one’s perfect,” River Holley said as he observes his pumpkin’s flawless quality.

Coach Melson leads the way into the building, but while they’re trailing along he turns around to make sure the seniors aren’t feeling under the weather.

“You guys aren’t sick, right? No one’s coughing?” Melson asks looking around at each player. Everyone appears to be fine.

They walk through the spinning doors leading into the hospital. The receptionist sits directly across from the entrance. Baby blue and cream paints cover the walls to create a soothing feel and Halloween decorations are already set up.

After speaking with the receptionist, Coach Melson along with the rest of the pack follows into the lobby area where long white foldable tables and chairs are arranged.

Players and coaches start setting up the supplies on each of the tables. A pumpkin and coloring page at each seat, a tray of vibrant paints at each table with paint brushes, paper towels and crayons. Gerald Richardson, Christian Taylor, and River leave to find water fountains in order to fill up small paper cups. All is set up.

An employee enters the lobby and all the players crowd around to listen to the guidelines and rules. Don’t ask them why they’re here. Don’t ask about they’re family, age or name. She explains to the seniors to be prepared to see IVs and oxygen tanks. But overall make them feel comfortable and just have fun. Now it’s time to wait for the children.

After waiting for about thirty minutes, the first child comes down. Gerald Richardson and Joe Musselman along with Coach Griffin are the first to sit with him.

“You like football?” Coach Griffin says to the young boy. “These are two of our best players.” He points to Joe and Gerald.

Following the first child, more and more kids start coming down and taking a seat. The rest of the seniors pull out a chair beside each kid greeting them with a gentle smile and a “Hey. How are you?”

Even though the players come off as a bit intimidating, they try their best to make the youngsters feel relaxed. Some do so by cracking a joke here and there. Others do so by admiring the child’s work, or by talking to them about football.

“Looks like that pumpkin has some attitude,” Robert Green says easing a smile out of the girl he works with. “She’s a little artist over here.”

“I’m seventeen and I still can’t draw inside the lines,” Daniel Dorsey says looking at the neatly colored illustration.

It’s about time for the players to get going. Each child slowly starts leaving the lobby with their coloring pages and goofy pumpkins they brought to life, waving bye to the players and thanking them.

“Thank you for coming down guys,” Coach Melson shows appreciation to the children.

After the players have cleaned up all the materials, Coach Melson calls together everyone.

“How do you guys feel about today? What are your thoughts?”

Each of them speak out and express how seeing young children less fortunate than them affected them.

“It made me feel thankful for what I have in my life,” Jose Guerrero said. “Seeing kids that couldn’t go out on the field made me appreciate everything.”

“I was happy to be there working with them and see them all smile, but at the same time it was difficult to see kids so young suffering from such severe illnesses,” River said. “Overall I had a good time though.”

Going to Cook Children’s Hospital wasn’t just community service for these fifteen volunteers. They saw how these kids managed to keep a positive attitude even though they were ill. Each senior left that day a little more grateful and aware of just how blessed they are.

“It served two purposes,” Coach Melson said. “To bring joy to the little kids lives, and for our athletes to realize how fortunate they are to have their health.”