Jaiden Rodriguez asks his questions as Linda Pizzuti Henry listens and offers her advice to Jaiden and all the students.
Nearly two dozen first-graders at Harrington Elementary School stepped up to the bat on Feb. 7 to interview their favorite Red Sox players for a NESN segment, Red Sox Small Talk.
The segment, which premiered last year, will be airing throughout the upcoming season during NESN’s Red Sox pregame coverage.
At Harrington, four to five students from each of the school’s five first-grade classes were selected to participate in the filming. While no players were present, Linda Pizzuti Henry, wife of team owner John Henry, directed the students through the process. She helped them become comfortable with the basics of broadcasting, such as how to hold the microphone, and guided them along to ask follow-up questions. She also turned the questioning back to them, soliciting their candid thoughts and encouraging them to be creative with character impersonations or silly faces.
“It’s a great opportunity for our kids,” said Principal Debra Ruggiero. “We’ve been working on their oral skills, so for them to be in front of a camera is a wonderful experience. It’s pretty impressive how they were able to handle themselves.”
The students were naturals in the spotlight having prepared with their own questions and skillfully handling everything else that was thrown their way.
“It was fun; I hope I get on TV,” said first-grader Jaiden Rodriguez, who fielded questions about Valentine’s Day, video games, pirates and more.
NESN crews will continue to film at different elementary schools throughout New England this winter, and once they have finished editing, different Red Sox players will take turns answering some of the hard-hitting questions from Red Sox Nation’s youngest members.