Those attending Oxford’s home varsity basketball games may have seen a new sight this year – on average 10 elementary youths holding up large signs and wearing “Fed X” t-shirts.
No, these youngsters are not showing their love for a well-known delivery company. They are showing their appreciation and dedication to senior varsity basketball player Joe Fedorinchik.
“I met him this past summer at basketball camp,” said fourth grader Ryan Reason, the originator of the “Fed X” cheerers. “I really appreciated that he kept working with me everyday and I got better because of him.”
The summer basketball camp is part of Oxford High School’s youth basketball program. The program begins with a summer session and then continues every Saturday morning during the school year. Head Varsity Basketball Coach Steve Laidlaw said many of his varsity players donate their time and energy to this program.
“This is an opportunity for us to reach out to the little ones,” he explained. “It’s really just an extension of the basketball program.”
“Joe Fedorinchik has done an incredible job with this program. I think he’s just doing a great job of reaching out to them. Those boys are at the games because he’s a remarkable teacher and mentor,” Laidlaw added.
And reach out the varsity players have.
The “Fed X” fan club began attending every home basketball game about halfway through the season. At first, Ryan said he wrote a message of the back of an “inside-out popcorn box,” but could tell the sign just wasn’t big enough.
“Joe would look over from the free throw line and I could see him squinting to try and read it,” remembers Ryan. “So we decided we wanted it so big he could read it from the court.”
Ryan and his brother Kyle spent a night making their large poster. They also handmade t-shirts and started encouraging their friends to get involved. At one home game, there were ten youngsters cheering on “Fed X” with different sized signs and shirts.
“We just started cheering for him because he’s great,” said 7?-year-old Kyle.
“We do this to make him feel good on the court,” explained Ryan. “I figure the bigger the better with this.”
So what does “Fed X” think about all this?
“When I first saw them I just laughed,” Fedorinchik remembered. “I’ve been coaching the same kids for the past two years, so I guess I’m kinda a role model now.”
Fedorinchik added that he does watch for the signs at every home game.
“It’s great to see them out there supporting the team.”