Twenty-five Bigs and Littles enjoyed rock star treatment at Coach’s Corner this past Monday night. The event was hosted at Wild Wing Café—a favorite among Charlottesville locals—where everyone enjoyed food, fun, freebies, and some rare one-on-one time with local celebrities Mike London, UVa Football Head Coach, and Dave Koehn, the Voice of the Cavaliers.
This is the second time Big Brothers Big Sisters has been the guest of honor at Coach’s Corner. Not only is the event a fun group activity, it’s also a “great opportunity for Littles to meet a local inspiration such as Coach London,” says Tosha Russock, Match Specialist at Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Everyone received a UVa Football t-shirt and poster, and one lucky Little won tickets to an upcoming game. But according to one excited Little, the highlight of the evening was “going onstage to ask Coach London a question.”
In fact, two Littles were invited to personally ask the Coach a question. The room erupted into laughter when the first Little politely asked Coach London if he had traveled to the restaurant by limo, to which he humbly replied that he had simply taken the bus and walked the rest of the way.
Deciding to explore a different angle, the second Little asked Coach London what led him to become a coach. After a moment of thought, Coach London explained that his Dad had coached him in Little League and it was that encouraging team experience that first showed him “the benefit of what positive reinforcement can do.”
Coach London’s insight highlighted the importance of a fundamental Big Brothers Big Sisters tool: positive reinforcement. It is encouraging to know that such a prominent community figure believes in the power of positive reinforcement as we do here at Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Many heartfelt thanks to everyone for making Big Brothers Big Sisters Night at Coach’s Corner a successful event. We hope to see you at the next one! And in the meantime, to quote Coach London, “keep playing—and have fun doing it!”
By Angelique Paul
Red Press, LLC
