Tim Green, a former NFL player, a lawyer, and an author, visited Reed Intermediate School and Newtown Middle School on Thursday, April 3, sharing stories and reading inspiration with students at each school.

“It’s my absolute pleasure to introduce to you, Mr Tim Green,” said library/media specialist Pia Ledina before students situated in the school’s cafetorium.

Mr Green gave multiple presentations for Newtown’s students on April 3 and signed a number of his books. At Reed, which was his first stop for the day, students held copies of his books in their laps while he gave his presentation.

After sharing that he loved every sport he played, Mr Green told the Reed students how he loved football the most and he also loved to read.

“If you don’t like reading, you are one book away from loving reading,” said Mr Green.

Since he started his writing career, Mr Green said he has visited more than 900 schools, and students have shared personal stories with him, either by e-mailing him, messaging him on Facebook, or speaking to him at the schools.

Mr Green said he especially loves hearing from boys who admit to not reading books in the past when they should have for school assignments, but one of his books made them love reading.

“It’s supposed to be something that is fun,” said Mr Green, who advised the Reed students to give a book five chapters. If the students do not love a book after five chapters, he said they should “put it down,” unless it is an assignment for school.

“There is a book out there for every single one of you,” said Mr Green.

Mr Green said he bases his books on sports, because that is a world he knows well.

Other advice Mr Green shared with the Reed students included working hard in school, because, he said, sports careers may end earlier than they want them too, but an education “stays with you your whole life.” He also told the students the most important thing to focus on is their character and being kind.

“You can never stop working to be a better person,” he said, “and books help us.”

Both the Reed and NMS visits were provided by the schools’ PTAs.

At NMS, physical education teacher Ken Kantor introduced Mr Green to seventh grade students in the school’s gymnasium for Mr Green’s first presentation there.

Earlier Mr Green had visited the middle school’s library/media center, where library/media specialist Jeanne Bugay said he ate lunch with students and signed copies of his books during a “Chill and Chat with Tim Green” event.

Ms Bugay said students have been reading Mr Green’s books in preparation for his visit to the school.

To the seventh grade audience in the gymnasium, Mr Kantor said Mr Green had a powerful message about education, character, and reading to share with them.

Mr Green told the students he was not there to sell his own books, but to sell the students on the idea of becoming readers.

He dared girls in the audience to read The Fault In Our Stars by John Green.

Becoming a professional athlete and an author required “maniacal work,” he told the students. To get into the NFL, Mr Green said he would run until he threw up, then keep running. He devoted himself to the weight room. He told the students that if they want to become a professional athlete they have to be willing to work beyond what others are willing to do.

He worked just as hard in school, he said, adding, “Why? Because I wanted to be the best I can be.”

Anything that brings true enjoyment and satisfaction, he shared, “are the things you work for.”

Mr Green also related how he went back to school to become a lawyer after graduating from college and being accepted into the NFL.

In his family, Mr Green said, “Education is such a focus, because I learned firsthand what it can do for you.”

Like he had at Reed, Mr Green shared the importance of being kind with the middle school students. He also told them to read Wonder by R.J. Palacio for inspiration on being kind, and he said his book that best portrays being kind is Unstoppable, which he read a chapter of for the NMS students. Unstoppable, he told the students, was inspired by interviews he conducted with Jeff Keith, who co-founded the CT Challenge after becoming an athlete in high school and college following the amputation of his right leg above his knee after being diagnosed with cancer, according to ctchallenge.org.

Mr Green said he was inspired to search out Mr Keith when his publisher requested a book about football and after Mr Green had watched his “young… strong… beautiful” wife be treated for cancer.

“I watched her endure physical and emotional pain to an extent I had never seen before,” said Mr Green, about his inspiration for Unstoppable.

Before reading from Unstoppable, Mr Green said each person has the ability to be selfish, uncaring, and unkind, but he also said the ability to be the opposite is also there. He challenged the students to go out and find someone who is different, sick, or in need and to do something kind for them.

“Feel what it feels like… It is awesome,” said Mr Green, about helping others.

More information about Mr Green and his books is available on his website, timgreenbooks.com.