'Bell Bowl' celebrates dedicated administrator at Young Elementary School
It looked like organized chaos as dozens of students ran around a makeshift football field at Young Elementary School in Aurora trying to defeat a team of staff members and Indian Prairie Unit District 204 administrators.
The man they were honoring, Young Student Services Coordinator Robert Bell, loved every minute of it.
The first "Bell Bowl" was held Wednesday during fifth-grade recess at the school - a 15-minute blast of energy played as a tribute to 20 years of dedicated service from Bell, the man credited with using recess football to drastically reduce disciplinary issues at the school.
"It just took on a life of its own after that first year," said Bell, 57. "It's fantastic. These children, they just love it. It's really been a blessing to me."
A team of third-, fourth- and fifth-graders squared off against a team that included District 204 Superintendent Adrian Talley, Metea Valley High School Principal Darrell Echols, Granger Middle School Principal Allan Davenport, Young Elementary Principal Erin Rodriguez, school board members and a group of ringers - Metea Valley football players who years ago attended Young Elementary and participated in Bell's recess football program.
"He means everything," said Metea Valley senior Dane Hutson. "The things he does and the way no other elementary school has a football program like his. I'm just blessed to have been a part of it."
When Bell was put in charge of student behavior at Young in 2001, there were 900 discipline incidents during the school year. The next year, after he implemented recess football, incidents fell to 60 and kept dropping.
Bell plays three football games a day - one during third-, fourth -and fifth-grade recess - and tracks results during the entire year. Students are rewarded with plays of the game, and there's a Super Bowl for the best teams.
With the possibility of being sidelined if they do misbehave, students stay motivated.
"I used to spend from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. calling parents with discipline problems in 2001, and we have nothing now," Bell said. "All I have to say to these students is that if they're not doing what's expected, they'll simply go to recess and stay on the sidelines. They won't be allowed to play."
After Wednesday's game, everyone gathered in the gym as Bell received kind words and certificates from district administrators and a jacket from students. They also watched a video tribute to Bell featuring his many sayings.
"He has so many funny sayings," said Young fifth-grader Emma Anargyros. "I just think it's really cool how Doc always comes out and plays with all the kids."