Page 26 - Sports Illustrated Kids (April 2019)

In schools

to unlock

potential.

At the beginning of his
freshman year, Jalen’s
ambition wavered. He lost
sight of his goals and found

himself straying from his path.
Toriano from Communities In
Schools became his trusted
guide, working with Jalen to
improve his attendance, raise BEN JACOB
his GPA and set clear goals vs.

for the future. Now a senior, SIMMONS DEGROM
Jalen is a first-chair trombone Philadelphia 76ers, guard NewYork Mets, pitcher
player and drum major in
his high school marching 22 AGE 30
band. He’s exploring musical
scholarship opportunities for 6'10", 230 pounds HEIGHT, WEIGHT 6'4", 180 pounds
college, and he has dreams
Melbourne, Australia HOMETOWN Ormond Beach, Florida
of becoming a U.S. Marshal.
There are millions of at-risk Big Ben NICKNAME The deGrominator

kids like Jalen who need a
Prior to being drafted, wrote a letter Dad (Tony), a phone company
caring adult to help them stay
to his father, Dave, a former pro lineman, built a batting cage in the
in school and succeed in life.
player inAustralia. “Because of your THANKS, POPS backyard and threw toJacob (who
hard work, I have opportunities that was originally a shortstop) every day.
See how we help you didn’t have, and for that I am
all kids succeed. grateful beyond words,” it read.

CommunitiesInSchools.org Favorite activity as a child in Is an avid boater and bass
Australia was to visit Nobbys Beach fisherman. His biggest catch was a
in Newcastle, where he would ON THE WATER six-pound largemouth. He told
go fishing. SI KIDS that he and fellow Met
Steven Matz go fishing four or five
times a week during spring training.

When the 76ers’ sales team hit its Was known for his flowing locks.
goal of 2,800 season tickets two After a hitter was quoted in 2016
years ago,Jake Reynolds, the senior as saying deGrom’s flying hair made
vice president of sales, celebrated by HAIR STORY it hard to see the ball coming out his
having Simmons’s face shaved into hand, the pitcher vowed to never
the back of his head. cut it. But before last season he
chopped it off.

Former LSU roommate jokingly told Favorite singer is country star ERICK W. RASCO (SIMMONS); ELSA/GETTY IMAGES (DEGROM)
an interviewer that Simmons was an George Strait. When deGrom takes
opera fan, and the story took off. In MUSIC the mound or comes to the plate, his
reality, he likes rap. His first concert theme song is “Simple Man,” by
was Kanye West, and now he’s Lynyrd Skynyrd.
friends with Philly native Meek Mill.

26 / SPORTS ILLUSTRATED KIDS