Kickball at Fenway Park brings high achieving students around Boston together

Dozens of high-achieving students in Boston were invited to Fenway Park Tuesday to participate in the second annual Honor Roll Kickball Game.

State Reps. Christopher Worrell and Dan Ryan invited the 60 students, who attend schools in Dorchester, Roxbury and Charlestown. Worrell represents the Fifth Suffolk District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, which includes Dorchester and Roxbury. Ryan represents the Second Suffolk district, which includes Charlestown.

The kickball event, a partnership between the two representatives, celebrated the hard work students had done in school throughout the year to achieve honor roll. Worrell described it as a fun way to give back to their incredible work.

“We wanted to bring our scholars,” Worrell said. “It couldn’t be just a regular kickball game. We had to have it at the historic Fenway Park.”

Team Worrell students give their teammate high fives after scoring some points. PHOTO: ZHI ZHU

Nadjya Facey-Maccow, whose son was among the 60 students, said she was proud to see him and his peers celebrate. “I think it’s very important that students are able to reap the benefits of the hard work that they put in, not just a grade. They get the incentive to want to do better because they’re able to enjoy activities like this.”

Events like this help bring more value to doing well in school for students who otherwise would not have opportunities such as this to enjoy, especially being at Fenway Park. For one student, the event brought back fun moments. “I haven’t played kickball in a long time, so refreshing my memory of kickball is really fun,” Kaniyah Leaston said. “There’s a lot of high spirits.”

The game was also a way to let the students connect, bringing them together from schools in neighborhoods where they would be unlikely to engage.

Students playing kickball at the historic Fenway Park. PHOTO: ZHI ZHU

“It’s getting kids to see this ballpark, get a love for Boston’s rich sports history, but also understand a part of their city,” said Ryan. “This is only a couple of miles away from each of our neighborhoods, but sometimes it feels like the other end of the world.”

Neighborhoods in Boston are often known for their unique cultures and established communities. The kickball game helps to link and strengthen the ties among students across different neighborhoods.

“I think it’s a way to bridge a lot of divide between students across Boston,” said Rebecca Zlotowicz, a legislative aide to Worrell. “There isn’t a lot of interaction at times; bringing students from our schools and a school from Charlestown is very unique and it’s an exciting partnership that we like to create.”

By working together, Worrell and Ryan will continue to bring the community closer for the two districts that they represent while being able to celebrate the students who make the honor roll.