Former NFL player Tim Hightower visits Richmond’s G.H. Reid Elementary School for Tackle Reading Day in March. Local organization Read to Them provided every child at the school with the book “Cleo Edison Oliver: Playground Millionaire.” (Photo courtesy Kathryn Starke/Tackle Reading)
Kathryn Starke is an urban literacy consultant who taught reading to young children in elementary schools for over 15 years, but her most important contribution may take place outside the classroom. A few years ago, the Henrico County resident hatched an idea she believed could change reading in inner-city schools across America.
A morning with the Washington Redskins for a reading program at FedEx Field in the fall of 2013 sparked the inspiration for a book. After the team’s training camp moved to Richmond, she helped the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation implement a summer reading program in the Richmond and Chesterfield County school systems. In 2016, Starke published “Tackle Reading,” with motivational stories from nearly 50 NFL athletes, celebrities, teachers and authors.
“The whole point was to promote a love of literacy through the passion of football,” she says. “We wanted to really use sports, teammates and athletes to help kids with the motivation and incentive that makes reading fun and achievable.”
More than 5,000 copies of the book have been sold, but Starke believed more could be done to help literacy rates among the youth. She reached out to some of the authors and professional athletes who had contributed to “Tackle Reading” and connected with Michelle Staubach Grimes, daughter of Hall of Fame Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach. Grimes knew about the book and wanted to see how she could be involved.
“We went back and forth and decided to create Tackle Reading Day to bring the book to life,” Starke says. “We called NFL teams ourselves, and after we got over 15 teams on board, the NFL decided to support the project. Now, every year for National Reading Month, we have Tackle Reading Day. All of the NFL teams send out players, owners and coaches to their local elementary schools to read football-themed books to kids. We donate copies of ‘Tackle Reading’ and other children’s books, thanks to sponsors in those communities nationwide.”
Now entering its fourth year, the initiative includes 27 NFL teams, several NFL alumni chapters and hundreds of elementary schools coast to coast. Starke says, “I visit a new city and work with a new team or athlete each year.” In Richmond, participants include former NFL players Tim Hightower and Dion Foxx, along with the University of Richmond football team and 12 area high school football teams.
Besides Tackle Reading Day in March, Starke and her partners often hold smaller events for International Literacy Day in September, and schools can book events throughout the year. As word about the program spreads and more athletes join, momentum continues to build, she says. “It just keeps getting bigger, and it’s awesome.”
