When players from the USC men’s basketball team joined Cocky’s Reading Express Thursday, the elementary school children gathered in the auditorium of the Richland County Public Library were in for a special treat.
More than 100 kids listened with rapt attention as sophomore forward Reggie Theus Jr, junior forward Brian Steele and senior guard Tyrone Johnson performed lively readings of children’s books. To the delight of the young audience, Cocky later joined the team members to act out the stories and high-five visitors. The participating students also received player autographs and a free book.
The basketball players’ participation in Cocky’s Reading Express was a part of the team’s “8K in 8 Days” campaign, an initiative designed to begin raising the number of season ticketholders through an 8-day community relations tour.
“It was another opportunity to give back to the community and to see these kids smile,” Johnson said.
The campaign also brought basketball players to a Special Olympics event, the Richland County Sheriff
Future Stars Camp, the Fort Jackson kid’s clinic and the Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital. Team officials and university administrators hope that in addition to contributing to good causes, the initiative will build community support for the team, helping to enhance the culture around men’s basketball.
“We always ask our fans to come to us. Well, we’ve got to find time to go to our fans. And I think this is a great way to show that to our players, there’s a bigger duty that we all accept with being an athlete here … than just showing up and playing the games on the schedule,” coach Frank Martin said.
Players said that participating in Cocky’s Reading Express not only allowed them to encourage kids to read, but also helped deepen the team’s bond and proved to be a personally rewarding experience.
“When you get a chance to read to kids that look up to you, that want to be a part of something that you may be a part of now, is the best feeling in the world,” Johnson said.