Brendan Boutilier '27 Teams Up to Improve Young Football Players' Math Skills

Fairfield University student Brendan Boutilier ’27 is helping young Bridgeport student-athletes in the Wakeman Boys & Girls Club’s Cowboy Football Program strengthen their math skills.

Boutilier, a double major in finance and English, is interning with Ruben Goodwin, director of diversity and community engagement at Fairfield Prep, who co-administers the Wakeman Boys & Girls Club’s Cowboy Football Program in Bridgeport, Conn.

Students in the football program practice three times a week, attend study hall twice a week, and receive healthy meals in between practice and study hall sessions. Goodwin identified a need and enlisted Boutilier to help him reimagine the study hall sessions.  

“In prior years we held study hall and just helped students with their homework. That was great but we weren’t seeing the academic growth we wanted to see in our scholar athletes," said Goodwin. "We know some of our students struggled specifically in math. That is when I had the idea to create a math curriculum for our players.” 

Building the Curriculum

Boutilier was tasked with designing the math curriculum. He met with educators, including an education commissioner in Bridgeport, and consulted with Fairfield faculty. Those conversations helped him develop sample problems and lessons appropriate for the students’ grade levels and needs.

The Fairfield University senior incorporated games, competition, and teamwork into the lessons to connect academics with the students’ experience as athletes. He also created daily instructional guides for classroom leaders and volunteers, providing a framework for delivering lessons and activities during study hall.

“Developing a curriculum is not just about knowing the material; it is also about understanding how to present it in a way that is engaging and accessible,” Boutilier said.

“When I brought this idea to him, I could see in his eyes he was inspired to help create the positive change we wanted to see in the Bridgeport community,” said Goodwin of his intern. “Brendan has a great way of engaging our scholar-athletes. They are comfortable asking questions, being wrong, and—when they are right—he is the first one to help celebrate.”

The academic component of the Cowboy Football Program is central to the program's mission. Goodwin hopes the revamped study hall sessions will help students build confidence.

“We want our scholar-athletes to step out of their comfort zones and be willing to try new things and experience success and failure,” Goodwin said. “There is much to learn from mistakes on the football field and in the classroom—if you don't make any mistakes because you are scared to put yourself out there, you cannot learn.”

The new math curriculum is being implemented during the fall football season, allowing Boutilier to work with the Bridgeport students and see the impact of his efforts firsthand. 

“Being able to combine athletics, education, and community service has made this experience especially meaningful to me,” he said. “I am excited to stay involved with the program, continue working with the students, and watch them grow both academically and personally. Being able to see their progress over time is something I am really looking forward to.”

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