The Van Vandal Football Team has been a part of a mentoring program here at the elementary school for about 7 years.  The coaching staff feels it is important for the athletes to have an opportunity to give back to the community.  The elementary children have a chance to get to know the athletes and adopt them as positive role models.  They are very excited about “their” football player.  The athletes come into classrooms and basically spend time with the students in activities that the teacher chooses for them. They may read to them or with them, go to p.e. with them, spend time with and individual student or small group. It is a very positive experience for the athletes as well. It gives them an opportunity to hold themselves to a higher standard because they do have little ones looking up to them.  There is an old poem that begins, “ There are little eyes upon you…”  and it is so true. These athletes and coaches recognize the fact that there are little eyes upon them and that they can set the standards for the decisions that some of these children make.