Jersey Day Fall 2024

Oct. 23, 2024

Jersey Day demonstrates citizenship through community building

Fall Jersey Day fosters community building while cultivating positivity around athletic extracurricular activities within Cazenovia Central School District (CCSD). This special event, on Friday, Oct. 18, is for the fourth-grade elementary class to connect with high school varsity athletes. 

“Jersey Day helps motivate students to try new things and to build relationships,” said Burton Street Elementary Principal Cristina Knapp. “As far as athletics go, it provides important opportunities for learning teamwork, goal setting, respect, and hard work.”

Before Jersey Day, each fourth grader is paired with a varsity student-athlete who offers them the opportunity to wear their jersey for the day. During the assembly, they can discuss athletic traditions, learn varsity cheers, and participate in team circles.

Jersey Day’s goal is tied to one of the district’s cultural pillars: “Foster an inclusive culture that increases involvement, strengthens relationships, and enhances collaboration between students, faculty, staff, families, and community.” 

“Interscholastic athletics can teach values missed in the classroom experience, such as integrity, dedication, sportsmanship, and commitment. As a coach, I teach all of my players that there is a responsibility as varsity athletes to give back, not only their time but what they have learned along the way”, said Assistant Principal and Varsity Boys Basketball Coach Chris Bubble.

Cazenovia Athletic Association (CAA), CCSD’s All-sports Booster Club, sponsored the  Jersey Day assembly, bringing in volunteers and providing refreshments. “A special thanks goes out to Co-Presidents Pete Way and Ben Reilley,” said Byrnes. “CAA was a big part of the invention of Varsity Jersey Day in the early 2000s, and it has become an admirable tradition now for twenty-plus years.”

Byrnes also said high school sports participation has been directly related to teens’ having a more positive attitude toward school work, helping to improve academic performance, absenteeism, and student dropout. 

“Many of our student-athletes have fond memories as fourth graders and step up when it is their turn to mentor,” said Physical Education Department Leader Sean Condon. “They communicate the importance of becoming a good student, citizen, role model, and teammate to be successful.”

Although the focus might be on encouraging sports participation, Jersey Day also offers high schoolers a chance to reconnect with their former elementary school support team. The Jersey Day event is designed as a fun and straightforward way for the school to annually provide excitement for sports, build connections, and foster a positive extracurricular message to generations of student opportunists.

“Outside of physical fitness, a diverse sports program can help build and grow a healthy community by developing school spirit,” said Superintendent Christopher DiFulvio. “Further, student-athletes can utilize these intrinsic values into adulthood to succeed in the workplace and their community.”