Bell starts offseason with reading adventure

by Cherome Owens / special to Bucks.com

Charlie Bell kicked off the offseason with some reading. Bell visited two local schools to share the importance of reading. (NBAE / Getty Images)
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April 27, 2009

Since the Milwaukee Bucks wrapped up their season on April 15, most players have used the first couple of weeks of the offseason to rest their bodies from the rugged 82-game schedule. In addition to getting his rest, Charlie Bell is also focused on doing other things like impressing upon school kids the importance of reading.

Bell joined 60 fourth-graders at Cedar Hills Elementary School in Oak Creek on Friday, April 24, to talk about how much he enjoys reading and how having a good education has helped him become successful in life. Following that visit, the Michigan State alum headed to the Milwaukee Renaissance Academy on North 12th Street for a visit with 80 students for additional discussion on the value of reading.

“Anytime you have a chance to tell kids about reading is always great,” Bell said. “They hear about it from teachers and parents, but they don’t hear from sports figures. I knew if I was coming up as a child, I would love to hear one of my favorite athletes discuss the importance of education, letting students know that in order to be successful in life they need to read and do well in school.”

It wasn’t a problem for Bell to visit two schools in one day. That’s because he wanted to teach the students a lesson on how he managed to improve his grades after struggling in an English class during high school, which could have prevented him from playing any more basketball and perhaps put a stop sign on his basketball career. 

“My parents used to always stay on me,” Bell said. “As a freshman in high school, I was playing on the varsity basketball team, averaging twenty-something points per game. But I wasn’t doing so well in class. Next thing you know, my mom was at school with me. She was walking around and following me to all my classes. I’d sit in a class and my mom was in the back of the room, making sure I’m raising my hand and paying attention. I said from that day on, I’m going to pick up my grades because I didn’t want my mom sitting in my classes anymore.”

While becoming Flint’s all-time leading scorer in high school, Bell went on to graduate as an honor roll student and accepted a scholarship to play at Michigan State University. He told the students that it’s good to become skilled readers at a young age because a lot of reading is required in college.

“You read a lot of books and write a lot of book reports,” Bell said. “With bad grades, you won’t be eligible to play in any sport in college. You’re going to be stuck on the bench and spending extra hours in study hall. I always made sure I stayed on top of my game off the basketball court.”

Bell kept his grades up at Michigan State as well, earning his degree in just three and a half years.

“Being an athlete, I won’t be able to play basketball forever,” Bell said to the students. “I’ve already had three injuries to my knee. So, I really am fortunate to have earned a degree in advertising. After my basketball days are over, I’ll be able to have another career.”

In addition to doing a lot of reading on his own, Bell also told the students that he takes time out to read to his two children at home.

“My wife and I take turns making sure that we read to them,” he said. “After school and right before bed time, we make sure we grab a book and my kids enjoy it. I do a lot of reading, and I make sure they read on their own about fifteen to thirty minutes a day.”

Deanna Singh, the executive director at Milwaukee Renaissance Academy, said Bell’s visit would have a long-lasting effect on the students as they now have a better understanding of what it takes to be successful in life.

“I think what’s so important is that we actually talk to the students all the time about the importance of reading, but to have people from the community, particularly people of prominence, come in and reiterate the message that we give to our students is invaluable to us,” she said. “It’s nice for people to not only talk about reading, but to connect their experiences in college. Charlie Bell was great at telling the students on what he went through to become successful and how reading has played a major role in doing so.”

The mission of the Bucks Read to Achieve program is to build a lifelong love of reading in young people, promote the value of reading and online literacy, and encourage families and adults to read regularly with children.

Bell has been big on the Northwestern Mutual Foundation’s Read to Achieve Program this year. He’s participated in three of the program’s five reading events. Although he’s had a successful basketball career, he wants all students to know that you can’t do anything without an education.

“In order to be successful in life, you’re going to have to do good in the classroom because not everybody makes it to the NBA,” he said. “I know guys that are better than me at basketball and not even playing in the pros because they didn’t do what they had to do in the classroom.”