Yahoo Finance Pittsburgh-Area High School Football Players Skip Weightlifting Workout to Help Shovel Driveways
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A Pittsburgh-area high school football coach is making headlines for pushing athletes on his team to give back to the community amid the winter weather.
Ahead of a heavy snowstorm, Brian DeLallo, a teacher and the head football coach at Bethel Park High School in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, announced Sunday that he was canceling the team's weightlifting workout.
Instead, team members were encouraged to help residents in Bethel Park neighborhoods shovel their driveways and sidewalks, DeLallo wrote on Twitter.
"Due to expected severe weather, Monday's weightlifting workout has been canceled. Find an elderly or disabled neighbor and shovel their driveway. Don't accept any money - that's our Monday workout," DeLallo's tweet said.
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Due to expected severe weather, Monday’s weightlifting workout has been cancelled. Find an elderly or disabled neighbor and shovel their driveway. Don’t accept any money - that’s our Monday workout.
— Brian DeLallo (@BDeLallo) January 16, 2022
Six inches of snow fell in western Pittsburgh from Sunday evening to Monday morning, KDKA-TV reported.
Some of the students spoke out about the experience — and the community's reactions to their acts of service.
"They're surprised that we're not taking money, we're not doing anything for it. They're refusing us because we're not taking money for it sometimes," said Gavin Moul, a junior and team captain per KDKA-TV.
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📍Bethel Park
Trading the barbells 🏋🏽 for some shovels ❄️
We tagged along with the Bethel Park School District football team as they learned helping others feels better than any lifting session.
Tonight at 6 on @KDKA
See you soon! @bpsdinfo @BethelParkNews pic.twitter.com/6VZ6nZviR6— MEGHAN SCHILLER (@MeghanKDKA) January 17, 2022
On Tuesday, DeLallo revealed he was not the one originally behind the idea, and credited former coach Jeff Metheny, who previously led the team for more than two decades, for the tradition.
"This received much more attention than we ever expected. I must give any credit for the idea to Jeff Metheny, who was Head Football Coach at Bethel Park for 25 years before me," DeLallo tweeted.
"We are simply carrying on 1 of the many great traditions he established. Thanks, Coach Metheny!"
