On Saturday, January 17th, the Taft Boys Varsity hockey team held its first “Shirt off my Back” appreciation event. Senior and hockey team captain Jason Rothstein spearheaded the event to honor and recognize those teachers or staff members who have made a meaningful impact on their student-athletes throughout their time at Taft.
Each senior on the team gave a speech honoring their chosen staff member, shared a personal message, and handed them a small token of appreciation, such as a t-shirt and a mug. Though not a large-scale event, Rothstein hoped this event could serve as “a simple but meaningful way for our team to publicly express gratitude and celebrate the educators who help shape our experience at Taft.”
Inspired and supported by the other seniors on the team, Rothstein spearheaded this initiative to show appreciation for the teachers who helped shape the seniors as players and people. When asked about his inspiration to start this initiative, Rothstein remarked, “As student-athletes, so much of our growth happens off the ice, through the teachers and staff who challenge us, support us, and believe in us every day. We wanted this project to represent gratitude and recognition and to literally give the ‘shirt off our backs’ to honor the people who helped us become better students, teammates, and people.”
Firstly, the entire team expressed their gratitude to Mr. Mike Verrastro, the rink custodian, for his daily, unyielding support and care, and for the hard work he puts into making the rink feel like home for the te
am.
To start off, Topher Jones thanked Mr. Taylor for being a great role model, teacher, and supporter during his time at Taft. He shared that, as a dorm monitor, he enjoys Tuesday night duty because he knows Mr. Taylor
will always bring the jokes and good energy. When asked his reaction to the event, Mr. Taylor shared the simile: “Teachers are like desert flowers. With just a bit of rain (recognition) we feel appreciated and we bloom!” Jones’s speech allowed him to reflect on his purpose as a Taft educator, “to connect with our students. At our best, we should give students a sense that they’re both lovable and capable. The students’ speeches showed us that this sense of connection works both ways. That we too
are lovable and capable.”
Cullen Tully thanked Mr. Hur for always keeping the vibes high, caring about s
tudents both in and out of the dorms, and for always having a smile on his face.
Captain Lincoln Durfee chose Ms. Estes, his former English teacher, to thank because of her highly personal and passionate teaching style, which, even in her second year at Taft, has made a lasting impact on the community.
Captain Carson Lowry selected Mr. Aspholm for always being a supportive set of ears for his rants, keeping his head up, his energy high, and his Taft pride booming. “Nobody has more passion for this place than Mr. A,” Lowry stated.
Tommy Drienik thanked Mr. Turner, the team athletic trainer and personal advisor, for supporting him since his first day on campus, for staying by his side through highs and lows, and for being one of the kindest, positive, and caring people who walk the Taft hallways. For Mr. Turner, he believes the ‘Shirt off my Back’ event is a really meaningful new tradition, “especially because it was started by the seniors themselves.” More than that, for Mr. Turner, “being recognized by Tommy Drienik was truly an honor. One of my highest priorities in this role is building strong, genuine relationships with students, and I’ve been fortunate to work closely with Tommy as his advisor, strength coach, and CPT2 dorm parent.”
Reflecting on their speeches, Mr. Turner shared his standout takeaways: “What stood out most to me was the wide range of departments represented in the students’ speeches—English, Math, History, Athletics, Admissions, and residential life.( I’m sure I am missing one or two). It was a powerful reminder that no matter your role at Taft, you have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on a student’s experience. The boys were incredibly thoughtful in how they spoke about their faculty members, highlighting specific qualities and moments that clearly mattered to them. It reinforced for me just how strong our faculty community is and how intentional so many adults are about building relationships with students. It also reaffirmed my own approach to this work: that even the smallest interactions can have a lasting effect, and that it’s important to show up each day giving your best, because you never know what moment will make a real difference in a student’s day.”
Dylan Chery chose Mr. Rosario for teaching him the important lesson that “working hard and focusing on the process will always outweigh the results both inside and outside of the classroom,” and for dedicating himself to supporting his students’ betterment every day.
Jackson Tucker recognized his advisor, Mr. Werrell, for always having his best interests at heart, providing guidance and assistance, and always bringing a smile to his face.
Brady Smith selected Mr. Swift as someone he could always count on to brighten his day and help with anything. From casual hallway chats to longer advisory conversations, Mr. Swift is someone Brady feels he can rely on as his advisor at Taft.
Joe Gannon thanked Mr. Mastrocola, his advisor and former math teacher, for helping him through challenges both in and out of the classroom, and for always making him feel supported, welcomed, and valued.
Domenico Clarizio recognized Ms. Leal; in his speech, he said, “She is not only a great teacher, but an even better person.” For Domenico, Ms. Leal makes him feel comfortable, valued, and seen, all attributes that contribute to why she is so important to him. Following the event, Ms. Leal shared she “was thrilled to be recognized by the Hockey Team on Saturday, and loved seeing the different teachers that were also there to be honored. The “Shirt off my Back” event was a good reminder that even some of our most driven and competitive athletes understand all the work that goes into their experience outside of their sport.”
After listening to the boys’ speeches, Ms. Leal shared “The thing that stood out to me in the speeches was that several of the seniors mentioned “being seen” by their teacher. Perhaps we tend to assume that our top athletes get a lot of recognition for their specific skills, but in reality, everyone (no matter their main identifiers) appreciates being seen as a whole, multifaceted person. In terms of my role at Taft, I have the great fortune of being in contact with such a wide array of students. I will continue to recognize you all for ALL the great things you do at Taft to make our school such an awesome place!”
Finally, JT Rothstein thanked Mrs. Butterly because of her amazing abilities as his English teacher over the past two years. Mrs. Butterly has helped JT become a better reader and writer and is completely dedicated to the success of all her students, both inside and outside the classroom. Mrs. Butterly was honored to be recognized by JT; when asked on her thoughts of the event, she told The Papyrus, “these moments are so special to me. We really treasure the thank yous, emails, and notes, and this was an entire event all about making adults in the community feel seen! Being intentional about spreading positivity and appreciation connects different parts of student life and brings the community together even more. I was thrilled to be recognized in this space– on the ice, but for the work I do in the classroom. It was so unexpected and really kind. Making someone feel good about themselves and the work that they do has a lasting positive impact. The team should be so proud of themselves for bringing this wonderful program to Taft!”
In the midst of his last season with the Taft Boys Hockey team, Rothstein will certainly be leaving his legacy, hoping to make the “Shirt off my Back” event a new tradition. In his words, “it’s important for teams to recognize that our success isn’t just built on athletics, but on the people around us who support us every day. This event brought the Taft community together in a really special way, and it reminded us how much teachers and staff matter in shaping our experience here.”
