JAVI’S MOMENT: Middle school water boy part of the team

(Staff photo by Jacob Lopez)
Javier Sias-Martinez (No. 88) is the waterboy for the Liberty Middle School eighth grade football players, but on Saturday he’ll be in full uniform as a member of the team. Seen (from l-r) are Lane Hunter Thomae, Eloy Guerrero, Robert Waters, Javier, Lee Trevino, Sebastian Szpak and Albert Banuelos.

By JACOB LOPEZ
Staff Writer
reporter@sbnewspaper.com

LOS FRESNOS – First impressions may lead many to consider someone who’s reserved as person who exhibits behavioral problems or even antisocial tendencies, but rarely does the possibility that the person may be misunderstood factor into the situation.

Javier Sias-Martinez, 14, had difficulty getting along in school. Then his teachers discovered his passion for football. Now, Javi, as his friends and teammates call him, is part of the Patriots football team at Liberty Memorial Middle School, a Los Fresnos CISD campus within San Benito city limits.

Javi is now the water boy for the team, responsible for filling up the water hydration cart, known by most athletes as “the cow.” He also handles the ice and ensures that batteries are charged.

Javi is an eighth grade adaptive learning student at Liberty Memorial. In adaptive learning, kids attend all their classes with one teacher rather than moving from educator to educator between classes.

Ray Escareno, Javi’s teacher and coach, said, “He had tendencies of not cooperating with classroom work, and sometimes getting a little aggressive.”

That changed when teachers found something that truly makes the 14-year-old happy: football.

Escareno cited Javi’s parents observing that the student is now “very excited to come to school.” In addition, according to Escareno, Javi is also fond of college and the NFL.

“Anytime he [Javi] has any sort of free time … he draws … he lets us know that football is something that he really likes,” said Escareno.

During physical education, all Javi wants is a football, according to Escareno.

Football has now become positive reinforcement for Javi, according to his coach and teacher. Each time he did his work or behaved well, his teachers would offer him rewards such as football highlight videos.

Eventually, Javi started coming onto the field to watch the players practice. First, it was once a week.

“…We started bringing him [towards the end of his seventh grade year] once a week to watch athletics,” Escareno said. “Then he started telling me about the water. He started helping out, and learning how to use the cow.”

By the time Javi was in eighth grade, he started traveling with the team, staying for practices and sets up the cow for the team.

“I think it’s very positive … socially,” said Escareno of Javi being accepted as part of the team by his peers. “The kids really have embraced it,” he said.

It’s apparent when you see other players high-five Javi and greeting him as they all walk to the field.

Escareno said Javi often signals his coach from the sidelines for a chance to play. His chance may come at 9 a.m. Saturday when LMS will allow its water boy to suit up and take the field in the second half of the game.