Langdon Students Reach for the Gold

Students at Langdon Avenue Elementary School are getting a taste of their own Olympic competition this week--complete with opening ceremonies and medal presentations--as part of an LA’s BEST after-school enrichment program.

And, while some of the events, like the bean-bag toss and soccer kick, may sound unfamiliar, the spirit of good-natured competition is as strong at Langdon as it was in Atlanta.

“I really like it because it’s good exercise and it’s fun to win medals,” said 10-year-old Jesus Molina, a fifth-grader at Langdon.

“Even when you don’t win you’re still trying and that’s the most important thing.”

LA’s BEST, which stands for Better Educated Students for Tomorrow, was established in 1988 to provide a safe, educational and free after-school program for elementary school students in low-income neighborhoods.

At Langdon, five counselors plan recreational and educational activities for 200 students a day. Langdon’s counselors, including 20-year-old Javier Lozano, a student at Mission College and an aspiring teacher, came up with the idea of the mini-Olympics.

“We’ll do anything to keep them coming to the playground,” said Lozano, pointing to the streets beyond the fence. “There is a lot of stuff going around in this neighborhood that is bad for these kids, but here they’re all right. This program has a lot to offer them.”

At the Langdon Olympics, students compete according to grade level and are split into teams named for different countries.

The third-graders, representing Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras and Spain, will study those countries in school during the competition.

On Friday, during the closing ceremonies, winning teams and individuals will be presented with handmade medals, and every student who participated in the games will be given a special certificate.