Surprise from Nimitz coach is the perfect fit

Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes.

It’s a saying to remind people to practice empathy.

And if you want a lesson in empathy, look no further than Nimitz Middle School.

Nimitz football coach Eddie Moreno cares about kids.

He also cares about shoes.

His shoes are always bright white, clean and super cool.

Recently, Coach Moreno noticed a seventh-grade player walking around in shoes with hardly any soles left.

“My first reaction was immediately just to give him my own shoes,” said Moreno. “When I told him it was a perfect fit, he had a little smile on his face.”

Coach Moreno not only gave the student the shoes from his bag, he also grabbed another pair of shoes from his locker to give him.

But he didn’t stop there.

The next day, Moreno showed up with a brand-new pair of shoes for the player, a pair of Crocs and a package of socks.

“As a coach, I see this happen every day,” said Moreno. “You are talking to me, but I want to give a huge shoutout to the Nimitz staff. Nimitz is the most amazing place, and there are so many good things that happen here every day. So many people reached out to help. It takes everybody. Those little things do matter. I know we get narrow-minded to win a football game. But I am really big on pushing life lessons to kids. I like to pay it forward. Every coach on this staff pays it forward. And I know this kid is going to pay it forward someday too.”

Coach Moreno and the staff at Nimitz are showing how to show empathy and kindness #theNEISDway.