‘Doing my part’: Teacher starts sports magazine to promote literacy among young athletes
Birmingham teacher Tonia Hernandez Frierson started P.L.A.Y.S. (Promoting Literacy Among Youth Sport)
By Jarvis Robertson
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BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (WVTM) — A Birmingham teacher is trying to reach middle school students through a digital youth sports magazine.
Tonia Hernandez Frierson teaches Spanish at W.J. Christian School.
She started P.L.A.Y.S. (Promoting Literacy Among Youth Sport), a digital youth sports magazine to not only highlight youth athletes but also encourage a stronger sense of literacy among students.
“I have junior writers that are in the seventh and eighth grade that write all the articles, they design the pages, they do the interviews,” Frierson said.
One of those young journalists, Lacey Stinson, is a rising ninth-grade student but hopes she’ll get the opportunity to keep writing for the magazine.
Stinson says this has made her take writing more seriously, especially the editorial process, because it makes her think outside the box.
“You’re hearing everybody’s idea, and they’re always unexpected when you’re listening to the ideas,” Stinson said.
Low literacy rates have been at the forefront of Alabama’s educational concerns for years; now, stipulations are greater.
Brooklyn Caddell understands literacy transcends every facet of life.
“I was very nervous because I was thinking, ‘I like my writing, but what if other people don’t,'” Caddell said.
The digital magazine is also exposing students to people who may not be part of the inner circles.
Nathaniel Thomas wants to be an artist or pro athlete when he grows up but knows there is a basic understanding he must grasp.
“It helps keep me grounded and be able to comprehend others better,” Thomas said.
As a school teacher, Frierson sees the issues with literacy up close, but she’s not running away.
“It makes me feel like I’m doing my part. I want to do everything I can because this is our future,” Frierson said.
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