Students play teachers in Staff v. Student March Madness game
AV teachers beat the March Madness winners with a score of 11 to 8.
Inspired by the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament, Amador Valley’s March Madness winners played against the teachers during lunch in the large gym on Friday, March 31.
“There are a lot of the kids out there cheering, wanting to see the result that the kids win and probably wanting to see the teachers lose. The fact that a lot of kids come to support other kids and be spirited brings a lot of energy to the players,” said Christopher Murphy, history teacher and JV football head coach.
The game was difficult to handle for both sides due to the difference in age group. Ultimately, the teachers took the victory over the student players by a score of 11-8.
“This is my first year doing March Madness. Something that is very challenging about this game is being undersized. Mr. Boone is about seven feet. Being as tall as his waistband (makes) scoring against him difficult,” said students March Madness winner Jackson DeVoe (’23).
The tournament was an enjoyable experience for participants with a certain amount of challenges throughout the games. For the winners, it was a rare opportunity to have the chance to play against teachers.
“Unfortunately, one of our players had a baseball meeting and wasn’t able to attend the game. It definitely decreased our odds to win. However, it was really fun to play against the teachers. I was honestly grateful for this opportunity and I found it surprising that some of the teachers remembered me from freshman year,” said DeVoe.
The March Madness basketball game lunch activity allows the AV student audience to see the talent of their peers.
“I think this game is meaningful because it brings tons of people together. And it’s good to see the skills people have around the campus and meet new people while playing. I have been participating in AV March Madness since freshman year. But each time I lost, so this is the first time I went for the final game,” said varsity basketball player Javi Gros-Suanzes (‘23).
Teachers’ involvement in student events decrease the distance between the two groups. The March Madness basketball game builds itself in engaging a campus culture.
“Getting more staff involvement on campus is better for campus culture, even though it was a short 30-minute lunch activity. We are also trying to incorporate more of those activities to get more interaction between students and teachers, breaking down the barriers in between,” said Antonio Yovino, AV teacher and March Madness player.
Updated on April 24, 2023 with additional sources.
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