Ryan Mastronardi

Standing together at the front of the dining hall, the football team sings Christmas carols to the residents at the Brant Senior Living on Dec. 13. This was the same location as last year so the players as well as the residents, saw some familiar faces. “They [football players] sing better this year,” resident Mara Halweg said.

Early in the morning this past Saturday, donning Santa hats and Gretna East gear, the Griffin football team prepared, not to line up on a yard line, but in rows to sing Christmas carols for residents at the Brant Senior Living Center. 

“I saw a lot of happiness and joy,” junior Chase Grow said. “I think coming out here really made these people happy because they don’t really get the opportunity to hear people carol.”

This is the team’s third year of caroling. Head Coach Justin Haberman started this tradition to bring joy to others, even if the players may not be the best singers. 

“Sometimes at this time of the year it’s tough for families and especially for people that are maybe not getting to be around their family as much,” Haberman said. “If we could bring some joy and a smile to their face by listening to bad Christmas carols, then that’s what we do.”

The team also passed out food to the residents and spent time with them. 

“[It] makes my heart happy to see them come out of that macho football player mode and sing to us elderly people,” Brant resident Diana Wohlers said

In addition to benefiting the community, the team has an opportunity to bond. 

“Just getting together on a Saturday morning, when everyone wants to sleep in and just know that that’s the brotherhood we have to get up early for each other,” freshman Hudson Leymaster said.

Throughout the year and during the off-season, the entire football team has been giving back to the community, not just the ones who caroled. 

“We do a lot of community service to try to give back to the community,” Grow said. “It’s one of the things we have in our cultural roadmap for football and Coach Haberman is really good at getting us to do these things and give it back to the community.”