CLINTON, Tennessee — Lilly Hughett is just like any fourth grader in the state of Tennessee. She's full of energy and a love for just about everything, especially the Disney movie Frozen.
"I like Frozen because I've got a stuff animal down here," Lilly said.
He's not really a stuffed "animal" per se, he's more of a stuffed sentient snowman. His name is Olaf. Lilly takes him with her everywhere she goes.
On Thursday, Olaf, Lilly and two of her classmates are in the gym at Clinch River Community School (CRCS) in Clinton. It's where they all go to class.
Principal Darren Leach describes CRCS as an environment that provides extra help for students, whether it be academically or behaviorally.
Leach and the teachers aren't the only ones in the gym with Lilly and her friends though.
Members of the Anderson County football team are spending the afternoon with them.
CRCS is located just behind Anderson County High School, in fact, you can see the Mavs' field from the parking lot. It's just a short walk for the players to swing by and mentor the kids as part of the "Read-Option" program.
"They're very cool and I really like them being up here," Lilly said.
Before their games each week, players mentor students just like Lilly, playing games with them and tutoring them in reading. Thursday's exercise involves words and cups: read the word right, you get to stack the cups. Stack them high enough and you get to knock them down.
Anderson County football offensive coordinator Sean Jessie helped get the program started. He said you can see the improvement each week from these kids.
"A couple of weeks ago, it was like, they couldn't do any of the words and today they were knocking them out and I get to go tell Ms. Swisher we need to up Lilly's words today," Jessie said.
"I just boomed them all!" Lilly said.
"They want to show them they can read this book, they want to show them they learned ten more vocabulary words this week. you put on a football jersey in East Tennessee and you're going to get a response," said Leach.
If you can't put on a jersey, running out with the team is a close second.
On the last Friday in September, the kids in the Read-Option program ran out of the tunnel with Anderson County as part of the third annual Read-Option night.
Honored before the game with a smile, it's easy to read their faces and see how much this night means to the kids.
"It's pretty simple, it makes our kids feel like they're special," Leach said, his face beaming.
"They are very nice to me, and I like being treated well," Lilly said.
But if you ask the players, the kids are the ones that make them feel special.
"One of the students from last year, I told him I really appreciate you guys coming, he said, 'you know Mr. Leach, you always say that like the kids are the ones benefiting, but we get more out of this than they do.'"