By AccuWeather staff writer
Bethel Park High School, located in the Pittsburgh suburbs, was closed on Jan. 17 for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, but the school's football squad was still expected to report for a routine offseason workout.
However, a winter storm that had swept through the western Pennsylvania area and other parts of the interior Northeast with heavy snow forced the school's head football coach to cancel the weightlifting part of the workout.
"Anytime we're off school, we typically bring the kids in for our weightlifting workout at 9 a.m. But I knew the roads would be pretty bad," DeLallo told AccuWeather National Reporter Jillian Angeline.
On Sunday afternoon, DeLallo officially called off the team's scheduled workout for Monday.
"Due to expected severe weather, Monday's weightlifting workout has been canceled," DeLallo posted on Twitter.
But instead of just canceling the workout entirely, DeLallo urged his team to give back to the community and find a different way to burn some calories.
"Find an elderly or disabled neighbor and shovel their driveway. Don't accept any money - that's our Monday workout," DeLallo said on Twitter.
Bethel Park High School head football coach Brian DeLallo. (AccuWeather / Jillian Angeline)
DeLallo told local station Pittsburgh KDKA-TV that helping neighbors in need would be more rewarding than lifting weights.
But despite the cancellation, DeLallo was still woken up early Monday morning.
"At about 8:00 a.m., my phone started buzzing and ... it was just constant, and my wife rolled over in bed and she said, 'What is wrong with your phone? Make it stop.' And as I looked at the phone, it was Twitter alerts, people who were retweeting my tweet and it was messages from the kids like pictures they were sending me photographs," DeLallo told Angeline.
DeLallo's tweet had gone viral. Many took to social media to post their praise and appreciation of the team's tradition.
At least 25 players texted DeLallo informing him that they helped shovel a neighbor's driveway.
"You get a lot more out of this than 'did you bench press 300 pounds today?' It's a chance to connect with the community, and you don't get many of those," said DeLallo.
Snow covers the Northside of Pittsburgh across the Allegheny River from downtown on Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Team captain Gavin Moul said that some neighbors rejected their free service because the players wouldn't accept money. But, he went on, other neighbors were grateful for the team's willingness to help.
"I've been here for 50 years, and these guys are great," 83-year-old Danny Varhola told KDKA.
"I am lucky to work with such great kids and in such a great community," DeLallo tweeted.
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For decades, the high school football team has made a tradition of helping snowed-in neighbors.
"This is something we've done for years and years when we have a workout scheduled and school is called off. We tell the kids go out and shovel driveways in your neighborhood for elderly or disabled neighbors, don't take any money and that will substitute for our workout," DeLallo said.
Even players were surprised by the attention they were getting from helping out their community.
"It was honestly really surprising how much like media feedback it got because I mean every year we pretty much do this," Bethel Park football player Jack Kohnefeldr told Angeline, adding that he was "super shocked."
Bethel Park football players Jack Kohnefeldr (left) and Jeremiah Hamilton (right).
Jeremiah Hamilton, another player on the team, weighed in that shoveling snow was more difficult than the team's regular weightlifting routine, especially due to the cold.
The helping tradition has been a staple at Bethel Park for several years, originating from a prior head coach.
"I must give any credit for the idea to Jeff Metheny, who was Head Football Coach at Bethel Park for 25 years before me. We are simply carrying on 1 of the many great traditions he established," DeLallo posted.
DeLallo said while he appreciated the positive reflection received for the school district and community, it isn't something new for the area.
"I know football programs all over western Pennsylvania were doing the same thing we were doing," said DeLallo.
Several players told WTAE in Pittsburgh that they liked helping the community after all the support the team had received during its football season in the fall.
"Try and help your neighbors because when you're in need they will help you in return," said Kohnefeldr.
DeLallo noted that the snow day wouldn't just be all hard work for his squad. He also told Angeline that there was a great response from the community, including from some who were sending in items to help the team continue the tradition. One woman even sent in hot cocoa for the next time the team heads out to shovel snow for neighbors.
"It's great to see the kids buy in and get out there, and you know they'll shovel all morning, then hopefully they'll go sled riding in the afternoon and get to be kids," DeLallo told WTAE.
Reporting by Jillian Angeline.
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